Bladder Cancer, Hyperthyroidism, Parkinson Disease or Symptoms Associated to Agent Orange but IOM downgrades Spina Bifida

[Jumpmaster]

Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides—Tenth Biennial Update –

The Agent Orange Act of 1991, extended by Public Law 107-103, direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to contract with the NAS to conduct a comprehensive review of scientific and medical literature on health effects from exposure to Agent Orange, and to conduct biennial updates. The statute directs each new NAS committee to determine, to the extent that scientific data permit, meaningful determinations: See more at:  

http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/Activities/Veterans/HealthEffectsVietnamVeteransHerbicides.aspx

Download the PDFs:  It may help veterans diagnosed with presumptive Bladder Cancer, Hyperthyroidism and Parkinson Disease or Parkinsonism (Parkinson-like-Symptoms) denied SC years earlier for association with Agent Orange.  Especially, for numerous veterans that served Outside of Vietnam and denied disability based on inadequate herbicide associated Agent Orange direct exposure evidence. Don’t forget that the VA and DOD withholds the essential medical or scientific facts, from veterans that proves your Outside of Vietnam herbicide exposure.  It’s up to everyone to dig up the hidden exposure facts that prove your own herbicide exposure during service.  Keep fighting for SC and never, ever, give up, and Whenever, the VA denies your claim.  Relax, Breathe, then lock and load, aim accurately at your herbicide exposure target, breathe again, and rapid fire away down the VA RANGE --with armor-piercing VA NOD and Appeals evidence that results in service connection. 

http://www.nap.edu/download.php?record_id=21845#

Additional major findings in the 1,000-plus page report, released March 10, 2016, included Parkinsonism and Parkinson’s-like symptoms and spina bifida.

IOM announced bladder cancer and hypothyroidism were upgraded to “limited or suggestive evidence” of a link between the diseases and exposure to Agent Orange. This was a change from the Update 2012 category of “inadequate or insufficient.”

IOM also added “Parkinsonism” and “Parkinson’s-like symptoms” to the list for “limited or suggestive evidence” of an association.  In the report, the IOM Committee noted that, “…there is no rational basis for an exclusion of those with Parkinson-like symptoms from the service-related category denoted as Parkinson disease.  To exclude a claim for a condition with Parkinson-like symptoms, the onus should be on VA on a case-by-case basis to definitively establish the role of a recognized etiologic factor other than the herbicides sprayed in Vietnam.”  Parkinson’s disease was added to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ presumptive service connection list on August 31, 2010.

In a rare move, the IOM downgraded spina bifida to “inadequate or insufficient evidence to determine an association.”  The birth defect has been in the “limited or suggestive” category of association for children of all Vietnam Veterans since Update 1996. 

[Berta]

Thanks for this info....that is a big change on bladder cancer and hypothyroidism.

It will be interesting to see what VA does with these findings and how fast they will move on [the regulations.

[bluenote]

Folks,

I've reviewed the report in entirety. Significant for VA consideration from my humble perspective --- and it the past has taken 6-9 months for proposed regulatory response: (1) will be the reiteration of limited or suggestive association for hypertension/stroke, 810ish-850ish (this was recommended in the 2012 Report for which the VA did not make any regulatory changes).  Page 15 notes the IOM was "disappointed" that pending cohort studies were not yet available for consideration; (2) recommendation for limited or suggestive association for bladder cancer, p 516-540ish; (3)  clarification of Parkinson's-like symptoms, p 743; and (4) recommendation for limited or suggestive association for hypothyroidism, ps 841-860ish. 

I'll also note the IOM again addressed issues pertaining to non-cancerous respiratory conditions (COPD, etc..), pg 870s, maintained inadequate or insufficient but noted there disappointment that the long-term cohort study regarding COPD was not yet available for consideration (PG 15).  The expected study was also mentioned in the 2012 Agent Orange Report.

Seth