Prostate Cancer Mortality and Herbicide Exposure in Vietnam Veterans

Abstract

AIMS. The association between exposure to military herbicides and subsequent death from prostate cancer will be investigated in a cohort of approx. 100,000 Vietnam veterans who applied to the Agent Orange Veteran Payment Program (AOVPP), which was administered by the US Federal District Court (New York) 1985-1994. Exposure opportunity will be assessed via a geographical information system (GIS) and herbicide and troop location databases previously developed by the investigators, with additional location data to be obtained from the National Archives. Cause of death will be ascertained via National Death Index (NDI) searches. Epidemiological analyses will include comparison of age-specific prostate cancer death rates, proportional mortality ratios (PMR), standardized mortality ratios (SMR), and proportional hazards methods, using unexposed veteran as a reference population. RESULTS. Systems were developed to locate and abstract military unit histories, and two NDI submissions were carried out. By December, 1999, 25,132 claimants had died. The first of two NDI searches yielded 112 prostate cancer deaths; a second is planned early in Year 2. Microfilm record abstraction of military unit histories is continuing and a nested case-control study is in progress.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2004
Accession Number
ADA427072

Entities

People

  • Steven D. Stellman

Organizations

  • Columbia University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Agent Orange
  • Biomedical Research
  • Cancer
  • Computer Programming
  • Databases
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Herbicides
  • Information Systems
  • Medical Personnel
  • Microfilm
  • Military History
  • Neoplasms
  • New York
  • Prostate
  • Prostate Cancer
  • United States

Readers

  • Library and Information Science/ Studies, Southeast Asia Studies, Bibliography of Vietnam and Lao Studies.
  • Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Care for Military Service Members and Veterans with Limb Loss or Disability.
  • Women's Health and Cancer Risk Research: African American Women and Pregnancy Outcomes.