[CPEO-MEF] Agent Orange And a Cancer Are Linked, a Study Shows

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Agent Orange And a Cancer Are Linked, a Study Shows
By CHRISTOPHER MARQUIS

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 — Exposure to high levels of Agent Orange, the
widely used defoliant in the Vietnam War, is associated with a slight
increase in the incidence of a form of leukemia, researchers have
determined.

A report from the Institute of Medicine has found that veterans exposed
to Agent Orange three decades ago were at greater risk for chronic
lymphocytic leukemia, a fast-moving and deadly cancer. As a result of
the study, the Veterans Affairs Department announced today that it would
extend benefits to veterans with the disease.

"It's a terrible tragedy to contract this disease," Veterans Affairs
Secretary Anthony J. Principi said. "We are taking steps to ensure that
veterans are receiving the benefits they need."

The finding is the latest link between battlefield exposure to chemicals
and clusters of disease among veterans. Agent Orange, which American
forces sprayed from planes to clear Vietcong jungle havens in South
Vietnam and parts of Cambodia, has been associated with other cancers,
diabetes and birth defects. About 10,000 veterans receive disability
benefits because of their exposure to dioxin in Agent Orange or similar
chemicals.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/24/national/24ORAN.html

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