Trends in brain cancer mortality among U.S. Gulf War veterans: 21 year follow-up

Abstract

Objective Previous mortality studies of U.S. Gulf War veterans through 2000 and 2004 have shown an increased risk of brain cancer mortality among some deployed individuals. When veterans possibly exposed to environmental contaminants associated with demolition of the Khamisiyah Ammunition Storage Facility at Khamisiyah, Iraq, have been compared to contemporaneously deployed unexposed veterans, the results have suggested increased risk for mortality from brain cancer among the exposed. Brain cancer mortality risk in this cohort has not been updated since 2004. Methods This study analyzes the risk for brain cancer mortality between 1991–2011 through two series of comparisons: U.S. Gulf War deployed and non-deployed veterans from the same era; and veterans possibly exposed to environmental contaminants at Khamisiyah compared to contemporaneously deployed but unexposed U.S. Gulf War veterans. Risk of brain cancer mortality was determined using logistic regression. Life test hazard models were created to plot comparisons of annual hazard rates. Joinpoint regression models were applied to assess trends in hazard rates for brain cancer mortality. Results U.S. Army veterans possibly exposed at Khamisiyah had similar rates of brain cancer mortality compared to those not possibly exposed; however, veterans possibly exposed had a higher risk of brain cancer in the time period immediately following the Gulf War. Conclusion Results from these analyses suggest that veterans possibly exposed at Khamisiyah experienced different patterns of brain cancer mortality risk compared to the other groups.

Respiratory illness among Gulf War and Gulf War era veterans who use the Department of Veterans Affairs for healthcare

“…15 This report only reviewed the longterm health consequences in post-9/11 veterans, and not pre-9/11 veterans who served in the 1990-1991 Gulf War in similar geographic areas. In addition to burn pits, veterans of the 1990-1991 Gulf War were exposed to oil well fires, 3,16,17 various products of combustion (including the demolition of chemical weapons bunkers 3,[18][19][20], and other airborne particulate matter (eg, sand and dust), 15 Gulf War era nondeployed veterans between 1999 and 2001, and found that while Gulf War-deployed veterans were more likely to report wheezing and smoking, the presentation of pulmonary function abnormalities did not differ by deployment status. 21 Although this study assessed pulmonary function over a decade after deployment, it did not perform complete pulmonary function tests including lung volume and diffusion.…”

“…This report only reviewed the longterm health consequences in post‐9/11 veterans, and not pre‐9/11 veterans who served in the 1990‐1991 Gulf War in similar geographic areas. In addition to burn pits, veterans of the 1990‐1991 Gulf War were exposed to oil well fires, 3,16,17 various products of combustion (including the demolition of chemical weapons bunkers 3,18‐20 ), and other airborne particulate matter (eg, sand and dust), 15 but the long‐term respiratory health effects of these exposures are largely unknown.…”

Data Matching to Support Analysis of Cancer Epidemiology Among Veterans Compared With Non-Veteran Populations—An Exemplar in Brain Tumors

“…These exposures include ionizing radiation, nerve agents related to weapons demolitions, and possibly smoke from oil well fires. [7][8][9][10] Using brain tumors as an exemplar, we use data matching approaches to compare cases included in the VA CDW and in the Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System (OCISS), the CCR for Ohio. Brain tumors, while rare in comparison with other tumor types, contribute disproportionately to morbidity and mortality.…”

The Department of Veterans Affairs Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses Biorepository: Supporting Research on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses

“…Central nervous symptom disorders are prevalent in GWVs, with elevated rates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), stroke, migraine headaches, neuralgia/neuritis, and brain cancer [8][9][10]. In addition, recent evidence suggests that a substantial number of GWVs have reported mild and other traumatic brain injuries over their life course (m/TBI; [11][12][13]), which is a risk factor for pathological aging/dementia [14] and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE; [15]).…”