Is There Any Connection With Agent Orange Causing Melanoma

Animal And Laboratory Studies

The chlorophenoxyacetic acid herbicides such as 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D are not considered highly toxic compounds, and high doses are required to cause adverse effects in animals. These compounds have not been associated with cancer in animal bioassays. In vitro laboratory cancer bioassays have also generally been negative, although 2,4-D induced mutations in one bioassay.

Cacodylic acid is reported to cause lung and bladder tumors, to promote skin cancer in mice, and to be mutagenic in some laboratory tests. Picloram has caused increases in benign liver tumors and in thyroid adenomas in rats, but has not been mutagenic in vitro.

2,3,7,8-TCDD is carcinogenic in animal tests, increasing in a wide variety of tumors in rats, mice, and hamsters. This action is thought to be mediated by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor , which triggers cellular signaling, DNA binding, and transcriptional activation. In vitro, TCDD does not seem to act as a direct genotoxin but has tumor-promoting activity instead.

When To Call A Va Disability Lawyer For Your Agent Orange And Copd Claim

VA disability claims are often wrongly denied, or rated too low. This is especially true of complicated medical conditions such as COPD. VA claims officials may wrongly deny that your condition is service-connected, for example. Or they may not apply the VA ratings rubrics correctly, resulting in a rating and monthly compensation that is hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month short of what you are entitled to.

If you believe you may have been wrongly denied VA disability compensation, call us today for a no obligation review of your potential claim. We may be able to help you successfully appeal your claim, and get you the compensation you deserve.

Toschedule a no-obligation consultation and see if we may be a good fit for you, call us today at 888-249-4426.

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More Studies Are Needed

The researchers acknowledge there were some problems with their study. They were not able to include a control group a comparison sample of Vietnam veterans not exposed to Agent Orange in the study because of the sensitivity around accessing veterans health records.

Also, as this study required the veterans to recall events from decades earlier, the researchers could not be certain that the information on how long the veterans were exposed to TCDD was accurate.

But the results do strengthen the previous findings between TCDD exposure and risk of NMISC, say the researchers. Dr. Clemens and co-authors say:

Further studies are warranted to determine the relative risk within this patient population and to determine appropriate management strategies so that veterans may receive the care they earned in service.

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Does Agent Orange Cause Cancer

Multiple studies have identified a strong association between Agent Orange and several cancers. With certain types of cancer, there is sufficient evidence to conclude that Agent Orange is the cause. Since more than 1.5 million veterans served in the Vietnam War during the 13 years Agent Orange was used, it is possible that thousands of people or more developed cancer as a direct result of their exposure to the herbicide.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides a service connection on a presumptive basis to veterans with qualifying service who were exposed and later developed a condition associated with the herbicide.

If you were denied service connection for a condition due to Agent Orange exposure, a veterans lawyer from Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD may be able to help you appeal. Call for a free case evaluation.

Additional Evidence Need To Support Your Claim

If you qualify for a presumptive service connection, you will need to submit discharge or separation papers that show your time and location of servicesuch as your DD214 or other separation documents. You will also need to include medical evidence that confirms your diagnosis and the severity of your symptoms.

If you are seeking Total Disability Individual Unemployability benefits because you are unable to maintain substantially gainful employment, you will need evidence outlining how your condition affects your ability to work. This often includes an evaluation from a vocational expert.

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Vets Exposed To Agent Orange Are At A Higher Risk Of Cancer

Veterans who served in the Vietnam or Korean conflicts and were exposed to the dangerous chemical Agent Orange have a much higher risk for several types of medical conditions and diseases, including various types of cancer.

If you know or think you were exposed to Agent Orange during your military service and have been diagnosed with cancer or a variety of other ailments which have been tied to Agent Orange exposure, you may be entitled to VA disability benefits.

Agent Orange Linked To Skin Cancer Risk Report Suggests

Date:

Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Summary:

Vietnam War veterans with prior exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange may be at higher risk for certain types of skin cancer, suggests a new report.

Vietnam War veterans with prior exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange may be at higher risk for certain types of skin cancer, suggests a report in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons .

The study adds to previous evidence that risk of non-melanotic invasive skin cancer is increased even four decades after Agent Orange exposure, with at least some exposed veterans having unusually aggressive non-melanoma skin cancers. The lead author was ASPS Member Surgeon Dr. Mark W. Clemens of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and colleagues.

Skin Cancers Present in About Half of Vets Exposed to Agent Orange

During the Vietnam War, Agent Orange was widely used as herbicide and jungle defoliant. It has been linked to a wide range of cancers and other diseases, caused by the highly toxic dioxin contaminant TCDD. “TCDD is among the most carcinogenic compounds ever to undergo widespread use in the environment,” according to Dr. Clemens and coauthors. Veterans Affairs recognizes and provides benefits for certain cancers and health problems associated with prior dioxin exposure during military service, however skin cancer is currently not one of them.

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How To Get The Benefits You Are Entitled To

If you have Choroidal Melanoma you should apply for benefits and submit a bnexus opinion form your doctor. After all, you served, and you absolutely deserve your veterans benefits.

Unfortunately, many VA Regional Offices may deny the initial application or give you an unacceptable disability rating. Working with an experienced veterans law attorney to appeal the decision often leads to success. With decades of combined experience winning disability benefits for deserving veterans, we are confident that we can get you the benefits you are entitled to. If you arent happy with your RO decision, send us a note here or give us a call at 629-1712 to see if we can help you win your appeal.

Expected Number Of Cancer Cases Among Vietnam Veterans

To provide some background for the consideration of cancer risks in Vietnam veterans, and to evaluate the possibilities for future epidemiologic studies of cancer in this group, the committee estimated the number of cancer cases that could be expected to occur in Vietnam veterans in the absence of any increase in risk due specifically to herbicide exposure, as follows. First, all Vietnam veterans were assumed to be born between 1946 and 1950, which corresponds to the largest five year age cohort. Second, the committee assumed that the most recent available national annual cancer incidence rates, those for 1985-1989 estimated by the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program would apply to Vietnam veterans. Further, if one assumes that 2,600,000 men and 7,000 women served in Vietnam , the expected number of specific cancers among Vietnam veterans in 1995 was estimated by applying the sex-specific SEER rates for ages 45-49

Suggested Citation:Veterans and Agent Orange: Health Effects of Herbicides Used in VietnamSuggested Citation:Veterans and Agent Orange: Health Effects of Herbicides Used in Vietnam

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What Types Of Cancer Qualify Under Agent Orange Va Disability Claims

The following seven cancers are on the VAs presumptive Agent Orange connection list:

• Bladder cancer
• Multiple Myeloma
• Non-Hodgkins lymphoma
• Respiratory Cancers
• Soft tissue sarcomas

Additional cancers may qualify as service-connected, but will require a more extensive proof process. Research about the long-term health effects of Agent Orange exposure is ongoing.

Researchers have also found connections between Agent Orange exposure and both skin and renal cancers.

Findings of a study were published recently in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The researchers, as part of their study, reviewed medical report records of 100 veterans at the Veterans Affairs Hospital of Washington DC. Approximately 56% of the men had lived or worked in areas contaminated by Agent Orange, while 30% had been involved in the actual spraying of the chemical, and 14% had travelled in areas contaminated by the chemical.

Other research in 2011 the VA reported findings of a connection between Agent Orange exposure and renal cancer. Continuing research was planned based upon initial findings.

Copd Va Disability Benefits

If you are a veteran and you have service-related COPD, you may qualify for VA disability compensation. However, because COPD claims do not qualify for a presumptive disability rating, you will need to show VA claims officials that your COPD is service-related.

To do this, youll need to meet three qualifications:

• You must have a current diagnosis of COPD.
• You must document an event or symptom that occurred during your time in service, whether on active duty or while on reserve status. One example can be dioxin exposure, herbicide exposure, or prolonged proximity to a burn pit in Iraq or Afghanistan.
• You must show a medical nexus that connects your in-service incident or onset to your current COPD condition.

Note that you dont need to have been actually diagnosed with COPD while you were in the service. You need only demonstrate that your current condition is a result of exposures or other incidents that occurred during your time in the military.

If you qualify for VA disability compensation, VA claims officials will assign a disability rating between 10 percent and 100 percent, depending on the severity of your condition. To qualify for a 100 percent disability rating, your VA examiner will have to assess your COPD as completely and permanently disabling.

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Expected Number Of Cancer Cases Among Vietnam Veterans In The Absence Of Any Increase In Risk Due To Herbicide Exposure

To provide some background for the consideration of cancer risks in Vietnam veterans, this chapter also reports information on cancer incidence in the general U.S. population. Incidence rates are reported for individuals between the ages of 45 and 59 because most Vietnam era veterans are in this age group. The data, which were collected as part of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program of the National Center for Health Statistics , are categorized by sex, age, and race because these factors can have a profound effect on the estimated level of risk. Prostate cancer incidence, for example, is nearly 11 times higher in men age 5559 than in 4549-year-olds and more than twice as high in African Americans age 4559 as in whites of this age group . The figures presented for each cancer are estimates for the entire U.S. population, not precise predictions for the Vietnam veteran cohort. It should be remembered that numerous factors may influence the incidence reported hereincluding personal behavior , genetic predisposition, and other risk factors such as medical history. These factors may make a particular individual more or less likely than average to contract a given cancer. Incidence data are reported for all races and also separately for African Americans and whites. The data reported are for 19931997, the most recent data available at the time this report was written.

What Is Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that develops in plasma cells. Plasma cells are white blood cells that develop from B cells in response to an infection. They play an important role in your immune system due to their ability to produce antibodies, which are proteins that help your immune system recognize foreign invaders.

In people with multiple myeloma, abnormal plasma cells replicate abnormally and crowd out healthy blood cells.

The ACS estimates that 34,920 Americans will be diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2021.

It isnt known exactly why multiple myeloma develops, but its thought to start when an abnormal plasma cell replicates more rapidly than it should.

Risk factors for developing multiple myeloma include:

• Age. Age is the most important risk factor. Multiple myeloma rarely develops in people under

CLL develops in B cells in your bone marrow. Multiple myeloma develops in plasma cells, which are B cells that become activated in response to an infection. Cancerous plasma cells produce a type of protein called M protein.

M protein buildup in people with multiple myeloma tends to cause CRAB symptoms:

• C: increased calcium levels
• A: anemia
• B: bone problems

Although both conditions cause many of the same symptoms, high levels of calcium and M proteins in multiple myeloma can cause unique symptoms such as vision problems, kidney failure, and confusion.

Here is an overview of the main differences between CLL and multiple myeloma:

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A Highly Toxic Compound

In fact, the main ingredient in Agent Orange, dioxin TCDD, is a highly toxic compound that causes cancer, disrupts hormones and leads to other serious medical and reproductive problems. When people are exposed to dioxin, it builds up in fatty tissue and is stored in the body for years. Dioxin remains in the environment for decades perhaps even centuries impacting the food chain and continuing to pose a health hazard to people and animals.

Its estimated that between 2.6 and 3.8 million U.S. service members were exposed to Agent Orange. Exposure was not limited to military personnel who served overseas: Contaminated C-123 aircraft that had been used to spray Agent Orange in Vietnam were still in use by the Air Force, including Reserve units, as late as 1981 10 years after the spraying operation had ended.

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Veterans’ Diseases Associated With Agent Orange

VA assumes that certain diseases can be related to a Veteran’s qualifying military service. We call these “presumptive diseases.”

VA added 3 more presumptive conditions related to Agent Orange exposure.This expands benefits for Veterans and survivors with these presumptive conditions:

• Bladder cancer
• Hypothyroidism
• Parkinsonism

If VA denied your claim for any of these conditions in the past, we’ll automatically review your case again. You don’t need to file another claim. VA will send you a letter to let you know we’re reviewing your case.

VA has recognized certain cancers and other health problems as presumptive diseases associated with during military service. Veterans and their survivors may be eligible for benefits for these diseases.

• A type of cancer which affects white blood cells
• A skin condition that occurs soon after exposure to chemicals and looks like common forms of acne seen in teenagers. Under VA’s rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
• Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus
• A group of different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues

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How To File A Disability Claim For Agent Orange Exposure

All claims for VA disability benefits begin in the same way, whether Agent Orange-related or not. If you have a current injury or illness that is connected to your military service , you can submit an Application for Disability Compensation with the VA along with supporting documentation, such as medical records and other evidence supporting both your condition and the connection to your military service.

With respect to Agent Orange-related claims, you will need to provide evidence of both medical records showing the existence of an Agent Orange-related medical condition, and military records showing your exposure to Agent Orange.

In preparing your claim, keep in mind the presumptions discussed above. If your medical condition is not on the presumptively service-connected list, you will need to provide some scientific or medical evidence that connect your condition with Agent Orange. Similarly, if your time and location of service are not listed on the presumptive exposure list, you will need to provide additional records showing that you were indeed exposed to Agent Orange during your military service, albeit at a different time or place.

If the VA rejects your claim, or gives you a disability rating that you believe is too low, you have the right to appeal the case and may be an optimum time to talk with a VA disability claims attorney to evaluate your options.

Presumptive Exposure To Agent Orange

As with presumptions of certain cancers being connected to Agent Orange exposure, the VA has also set forth a list of service times and areas where service members are presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange, even if they didnt directly know about it.

According to the VA, a veteran has a presumption of exposure to Agent Orange if you meet at least one of the service requirements listed below.

Between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, you must have served for any length of time in at least one of these locations:

• In the Republic of Vietnam, or
• Aboard a U.S. military vessel that operated in the inland waterways of Vietnam, or
• On a vessel operating not more than 12 nautical miles seaward from the demarcation line of the waters of Vietnam and Cambodia, or
• On regular perimeter duty on the fenced-in perimeters of a U.S. Army installation in Thailand or a Royal Thai Air Force base. These bases include U-Tapao, Ubon, Nakhon Phanom, Udorn, Takhli, Korat, or Don Muang.

Or at least one of these must be true. You:

Eligible Reserve locations, time periods, and units include:

• Lockbourne/Rickenbacker Air Force Base in Ohio, 1969 to 1986
• Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts, 1972 to 1982
• Pittsburgh International Airport in Pennsylvania, 1972 to 1982

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