Veterans and Agent Orange Update 2000 (2001) / Chapter Skim
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2 Veterans and Agent Orange: Previous IOM Reports
2 Veterans and Agent Orange: Previous IOM Reports
Pages 15-21
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From page 15... ...
1116, directed the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to request that the National Academy of Sciences conduct a comprehensive review and evaluation of scientific and medical information regarding the health effects of exposure to Agent Orange, other herbicides used in Vietnam, and their components, including dioxin. In February 1992, the Institute of Medicine (IOM)
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From page 16... ...
Rather, the studies provide scientific information for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to consider as the DVA exercises its responsibilities to Vietnam veterans. To fulfill their charge of judging whether each of a set of human health effects is associated with exposure to herbicides or dioxin, the committees concentrated on reviewing and interpreting human epidemiologic studies, as well as experimental investigations that may contribute to biologic plausibility.
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From page 17... ...
Using such a summary measure would also inappropriately focus attention on one piece of information used by the committee when, in fact, all the factors discussed above are important in evaluating the literature. CONCLUSIONS ABOUT HEALTH OUTCOMES VAO, Update 1996, and Update 1998 provide detailed reviews of the scientific studies evaluated by the committee and their implications for cancer, reproductive problems, neurobehavioral problems, and other health effects.
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From page 18... ...
Health Outcomes with Limited/Suggestive Evidence of an Association The committee responsible for VAO found limited/suggestive evidence of an association for three cancers: respiratory cancers, prostate cancer, and multiple myeloma. The Update 1996 committee added three health outcomes to this list: PCT (explained above)
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From page 19... ...
Health Outcomes with Inadequate/Insufficient Evidence to Determine Whether an Association Exists Scientific data for many of the cancers and other diseases reviewed by the VAO, Update 1996, and Update 1998 committees were inadequate or insufficient to determine whether any association exists. There was one change in the health outcomes in this category between the first two reports: skin cancer was moved into this category in Update 1996 when available evidence no longer supported its classification as a condition with limited/suggestive evidence of .
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From page 20... ...
Most of the evidence on which the findings regarding associations are based comes from studies of people exposed to dioxin or herbicides in occupational and environmental settings, rather than from studies of Vietnam veterans. The VAO, Update 1996, and Update 1998 committees found this body of evidence sufficient for reaching their conclusions about statistical associations between herbicides and health outcomes.
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From page 21... ...
Based on its review of the epidemiologic evidence and a consideration of the quality of exposure information available in existing studies, especially of Vietnam veterans, the committee responsible for VAO concluded that a series of epidemiologic studies of veterans could yield valuable information if a new, valid exposure reconstruction model could be developed. The original committee also saw value in continuing the existing Ranch Hand study and expanding it to include Army Chemical Corps veterans.
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