Agent Orange Epidemiologists

Unknown
Unknown
edited December 2016 in Military Cancer Survivors #1

I was in Viet Nam from 1971 to 1973 as a civilian advisor, in the field with the ARVN. I originally worked out of Americale at Chu Lai then moved to all sorts of outposts, mostly in I-Corps before leaving in April 1973. I now have Follicular Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma stage IV Grade 3B. I am eligible for some sort of small benefit from my former employer's workman's comp policy if I can connect the cancer to the Agent Orange I was around. Does anyone know of an epidemiologist I can contact to look over my records and say if he/she can reasonably say my cancer is typical of what he/she would expect from Agent Orange exposure? It would be a slam dunk if I had been in uniform at the time.

Comments

  • MarineE5
    MarineE5 Member Posts: 1,034 Member
    #2
    Welcome Home

    GKH,

    Unfortunately, I don't know any Epidemiologists. I only have a thought, maybe you might go to a Teaching Hospital that might be near a VA Hospital, speak with some Doctors and see if they might write a letter in your favor stating that in their opinion, your Lymphoma is connected to your time in Vietnam and Agent Orange. I am only guessing here, but hopefully, your former employer will grant you the disability after you provide an "Expert Opinion".

    I too was in Chu-Lai, got there for Tet of 68 and was there for Tet of 69 as well.

    Semper Fi

  • HAWVET
    HAWVET Member Posts: 318
    #3
    MarineE5 said:

    Welcome Home

    GKH,

    Unfortunately, I don't know any Epidemiologists. I only have a thought, maybe you might go to a Teaching Hospital that might be near a VA Hospital, speak with some Doctors and see if they might write a letter in your favor stating that in their opinion, your Lymphoma is connected to your time in Vietnam and Agent Orange. I am only guessing here, but hopefully, your former employer will grant you the disability after you provide an "Expert Opinion".

    I too was in Chu-Lai, got there for Tet of 68 and was there for Tet of 69 as well.

    Semper Fi

    I would think that the

    I would think that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report would be applicable in your case.  Every two years, they provide an update called Veterans and Agent Orange, the latest is Update 2010.  Update 2012 will be released within the next couple of months.  The report would indicate whether there is or there is not sufficient evidence to link cancers to Agent Orange.  They are the experts.

    You can google Veterans and Agent Orange Update 2010.  Although there is a book published, you can read the report on line.

     

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