Did TCDD exposure or service in Southeast Asia increase the risk of cancer in air force Vietnam veterans who did not spray agent orange?
OBJECTIVE
We sought to examine cancer incidence in 1482 Air Force veterans who served in Southeast Asia (SEA) and who were not occupationally exposed to herbicides.


METHODS
Cancer incidence between 1982 and 2003 was determined by record review and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate risk ratios across serum 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and years served in SEA categories.


RESULTS
All sites cancer risk increased with TCDD (relative risk = 1.6, 95% confidence interval = 1.2-2.2). The risk of prostate cancer increased with years of SEA service but not with TCDD. TCDD and years of SEA service interacted with all sites cancer; the risk was greatest in those with the highest TCDD levels and the longest time served in SEA.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest nonoccupational exposures to TCDD or other factors while in SEA may contribute to cancer risk in these veterans.
Pavuk
Marian
M
From SpecPro, Inc., San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Michalek
Joel E
JE
Schecter
Arnold
A
Ketchum
Norma S
NS
Akhtar
Fatema Z
FZ
Fox
Karen A
KA
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D008889:Military Personnel; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D018426:SEER Program; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014744:Vietnam
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins