Impact of Agent Orange Exposure on Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Outcomes

Environmental exposures are increasingly being recognized as playing a significant role in the cause of cancers. Agent Orange is a defoliant that was used to clear the jungle in the Korean and Vietnam wars and was later noted to contain a contaminant (dioxin) that is now a known carcinogen.

Recently, the federal government recognized bladder cancer as a cancer that is caused by Agent Orange. Many Veterans with bladder cancer and/or Agent Orange exposures are concerned if the biology of cancer may be altered due to this exposure. Therefore, we performed a large observational study using national Veterans Affairs databases to see if patients with early stage bladder cancer had worse outcomes if they were also exposed to Agent Orange.

Fortunately, we found no difference in outcomes between patients that were exposed and those that were not exposed. This data is reassuring to patients, advocates, and providers essentially indicating that those exposed to Agent Orange do not have to be treated any differently.

Our group plans to perform more research on this topic on those with more advanced stage bladder cancer. We also are conducting other environmental research looking at levels of other carcinogens (such as arsenic) in drinking water, air, and soil.

Written by: Kyle A. Richards, MD, FACS, The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Urology, Madison, WI; William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Division of Urology, Madison, WI

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Impact of Agent Orange Exposure on Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Outcomes - Kyle Richards

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