For decades, the VA has recognized that veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange toxins during the Vietnam War era are more likely to suffer from certain medical conditions. As time passes, the veteran population ages, and more studies are conducted, this list of medical conditions continues to grow. In fact, a recent study suggests a connection between Agent Orange exposure and bone marrow cancers.
This study, conducted by researchers at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, focused on myelodysplastic syndromes, or MDS, which is a group of bone marrow cancers that disrupts blood cell production, resulting in a low blood cell count.
This research drew on data from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s MDS Natural History Study, which enrolled 2,115 patients, 130 (6.1%) reported Agent Orange exposure, and 96% of those exposed were male. Ultimately, 54% of exposed patients received a diagnosis of MDS or a related precursor condition, compared with 37% of unexposed patients.
The research showed that Agent Orange exposed veterans were diagnosed with MDS at a younger age, roughly several years earlier on average, than those without exposure. During the first two years after diagnosis, exposed patients were also about 80% more likely to see their disease worsen, including progression to more severe MDS or acute leukemia. Overall survival, however, was similar between the two groups throughout the study.
Among patients diagnosed with MDS, those exposed to Agent Orange were more than twice as likely to show “high-risk chromosome abnormalities,” said Mikkael A. Sekeres, a physician and chief of hematology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The researchers concluded that Agent Orange altered the DNA of servicemembers by adding a mutation that set them on the road to earlier and faster progression of bone marrow cancers.
This research is helpful for any veteran who was exposed to Agent Orange and is now suffering from MDS. Although the VA has not recognized MDS as a condition presumptively related to Agent Orange exposure, veterans should submit this research when arguing for direct service-connected benefits.
To learn more about Agent Orange presumptive conditions, click here.
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