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agent orange

Herbicide used as a defoliant by U.S. forces in Vietnam. Dioxin (TCDD) produced as byproduct during manufacturing process. Epidemiology: Exposure to TCDD from Agent Orange in ground troops in Vietnam probably indistinguishable from background levels, even if they had been in recently treated areas. [3] This is a result of photochemical degradation of TCDD & limited bioavailability of residual TCDD present in soil or on vegetation. Repeated long- term direct skin contact required for appreciable accumulation of TCDD. Complications: 1) Veterans Administration recognized conditions: a) chloracne (within 1 year of exposure) b) non Hodgkin's lymphoma c) soft tissue sarcoma, other than - osteosarcoma, chrondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, mesothelioma d) Hodgkin's disease e) porphyria cutanea tarda (within 1 year of exoposure) f) multiple myeloma g) respiratory cancers - lung cancer tracheal cancer - within 30 years of exposure h) prostate cancer - increased risk for high-grade prostate cancer [5] i) peripheral neuropathy (within 1 year of exposure) j) type 2 diabetes k) chronic lymphocytic leukemia i) spina bifida 2) associated malignancy (or not) [2,3] - may be associated with development of lymphoma - possible association with development of prostate cancer - soft tissue sarcoma, no increased risk

Related

2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (dioxin TCDD)

General

herbicide

References

  1. UpToDate 13.3 http://www.utdol.com
  2. The association of selected cancers with service in the US military in Vietnam. II. Soft-tissue and other sarcomas. The Selected Cancers Cooperative Study Group Arch Intern Med 1990; 150:2468 PMID: 2244765
  3. Young AL, Giesy JP, Jones PD, Newton M. Environmental fate and bioavailability of Agent Orange and its associated dioxin during the Vietnam War. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2004;11(6):359-70. Review. PMID: 15603524
  4. Panteleyev AA, Bickers DR Dioxin-induced chloracne - resconctructing the cellular and molecular mechanisms of a classic environmental disease. Exp Dermatol 2006, 15:705 PMID: 16881967
  5. Ansbaugh N et al Agent Orange as a risk factor for high-grade prostate cancer. Cancer. May 13, 2013 PMID: 23670242 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.27941/abstract