Why are Vietnam veterans concerned about soft tissue sarcomas?
The possibility that exposure to phenoxy herbicides, such as Agent Orange, may have caused rare forms of cancer in humans such as soft tissue sarcomas was suggested in 1979 and 1981 by small scale studies conducted in Sweden. These studies showed that persons reporting occupational exposure to phenoxy herbicides may have a 5 to 6 fold higher risk of developing soft tissue sarcomas as compared to persons without such exposure. Have more recent research results supported or conflicted with the Swedish studies finding regarding soft tissue sarcomas? A number of scientific studies of soft tissue sarcomas among people who may have been exposed to herbicides and/or dioxins have been published in the past few years. Some studies suggested a possible association between these exposures and an increased risk of some cancers, but none showed an increased risk of soft tissue sarcomas of the magnitude cited by the Swedish researchers, and the majority of these investigations showed no association
The possibility that exposure to phenoxy herbicides, such as Agent Orange, may have caused rare forms of cancer in humans such as soft tissue sarcomas was suggested in 1979 and 1981 by small scale studies conducted in Sweden. These studies showed that persons reporting occupational exposure to phenoxy herbicides may have a 5 to 6 fold higher risk of developing soft tissue sarcomas as compared to persons without such exposure. Have more recent research results supported or conflicted with the Swedish studies finding regarding soft tissue sarcomas? A number of scientific studies of soft tissue sarcomas among people who may have been exposed to herbicides and/or dioxins have been published in the past few years. Some studies suggested a possible association between these exposures and an increased risk of some cancers, but none showed an increased risk of soft tissue sarcomas of the magnitude cited by the Swedish researchers, and the majority of these investigations showed no association
