Munition exposure linked to brain cancer in US vets

Gulf War veterans exposed to chemical munitions at Khamisiyah, Iraq are nearly twice as likely as their unexposed peers from the same war to die from brain cancer, according to a report in the American Journal of Public Health.

“We found an approximately twofold excess of brain cancer deaths, 12 to 13 excess deaths in a population of 100,000 veterans, associated with possible exposure to chemical warfare agents,” Tim A. Bullman, from the Department of Veteran Affairs in Washington, DC, and colleagues report.

In the new study, rates of death from specific causes for 100,487 exposed US army veterans were compared with those for 224,980 unexposed veterans.

For most diseases, no difference in mortality was seen between the two groups, the investigators point out. The exception was brain cancer for which the exposed group had an elevated risk of death.

Further analysis showed evidence of an effect based exposure levels. For instance, compared with their unexposed peers, veterans exposed to chemical munitions for one day were 72 percent more likely to die from brain cancer, while those exposed for two or more days were 226 percent more likely to die from brain cancer.

However, the investigators caution that additional research is needed to confirm these findings.

SOURCE: American Journal of Public Health, August 2005.

RELATED STORIES:
Oral rinses used for tracking HPV-positive head and neck cancers holds promise for cancer screening   Genetic Risk Factor Found for Head and Neck Cancer in Smokers   High dosage brachytherapy obtains excellent results in head and neck tumors   Immune deficiency linked to a type of eye cancer   Acupuncture Reduces Pain and Dysfunction in Head and Neck Cancer Patients After Neck Dissection   Disparities among patients with extremity soft-tissue sarcomas   Early detection critical in treating pediatric thyroid cancer   Scientists Identify Chemical Compound That May Stop Deadly Brain Tumors   Head and neck cancer worse in blacks   Psychiatric symptoms can be first sign of cancer   Smoking increases risks for head and neck cancers for men and women   New Imaging Analysis Predicts Brain Tumor Survival   Cause and treatment for aggressive head and neck cancer may have been found   Protein Expression Holds Promise for Head and Neck Cancer Detection   Target for Therapeutic Drugs to Fight Most Common Adult Brain Cancer   Brain Cancer Experts and Resources at Johns Hopkins   Potential for non-invasive brain tumor treatment   Tobacco use linked to worse outcomes in HPV-positive head and neck cancer, U-M study finds   Blue light used to harden tooth fillings stunts tumor growth   Family History of Brain Tumors Linked to Increased Risk of Brain Cancer   Cotton-Seed Based Drug Shows Promise in Treating Severe Brain Cancer   Brain metastases hijack neuron-supporting cells to resist chemotherapy

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]