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Selected Cancers Study

This was a population-based, case-control study to determine whether Vietnam veterans are at an increased risk of developing particular types of cancer that have been suggested as being possibly related to dioxin exposure. Specific cancers studied included non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, soft tissue sarcoma, Hodgkin's disease, nasopharyngeal cancer, and primary liver cancer. An increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was found among Vietnam veterans compared with men who did not serve in Vietnam, but no increased risk was identified for the other five cancers. The risk of having non-Hodgkin's lymphoma increased with length of service in Vietnam and was higher among men in the sea-based Navy than among other veterans. However, little difference in risk was noted according to dates of service, type of unit, military region, or any other characteristics that may have been associated with the use of the “Agent Orange” herbicide formulation.

Publications

The Association of Selected Cancers with Service in the U.S. Military in Vietnam
The Selected Cancers Study (SCS) is one of several studies undertaken to assess the effects of military service in Vietnam and exposure to herbicides on the subsequent health of American veterans of that conflict

The Selected Cancers Cooperative Study Group. The association of selected cancers with service in the US military in Vietnam: I. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Archives of Internal Medicine 1990;150:2473–83.

The Selected Cancers Cooperative Study Group. The association of selected cancers with service in the US military in Vietnam: II. Soft-tissue and other sarcomas. Archives of Internal Medicine 1990;150:2485–92.

The Selected Cancers Cooperative Study Group. The association of selected cancers with service in the US military in Vietnam: III. Hodgkin's disease, nasal cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, and primary liver cancer. Archives of Internal Medicine 1990;150:2495–2505.

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