Published Mar 15, 2024

New Veterans Cancer Clusters Increasing: Now It’s Air Force Vets Who Who Worked On Ballistic Missiles

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Investigation Suggests Heightened Cancer Risk on Some Military Bases

SurvivorNet continues to follow an ongoing investigation into “cancer clusters” affecting some U.S. service members working in Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) facilities. 198 cancer cases that include breast, prostate, and lymphoma were found involving men and women working at a handful of military bases. The investigation adds credence to concerns among military service members decades ago that are now getting a second look.
The ongoing investigation revealed unsafe levels of PCBs, oily or waxy substances that the Environmental Protection Agency has identified as likely carcinogens.
The VA has a program called the Precision Oncology Program (POP) that provides specialized care for veterans diagnosed with cancer. In addition to added care, the program also gives veterans access to clinical trials.
SurvivorNet has created a comprehensive guide to help veterans diagnosed with prostate cancer better navigate the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system.

In the latest in a concerning wave of reports about cancer cluster among U.S. military members, service members in the U.S. Air Force may be at an elevated risk for breast, prostate, and lymphoma cancers, according to a study conducted by the Air Force. The study was first reported in Military.com reports. The U.S. military is believed to have overlooked emerging cancer clusters among men and women working in ballistic missile facilities.

US soldiers. US army. USA patch flag on the US military uniform. Soldiers on the parade ground from the back. Veterans Day. Memorial Day.

The study focused on airmen and women working in Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) facilities. These service members working in the ICBM facilities – called missileers – have suspected working in such environments elevates their cancer risk.

“The Air Force largely ignored the issue for the past two decades following assessments that downplayed any risk at the facilities, but it reversed course last year as cancer cases were made public by ordering the study and cleanup efforts at missile bases,” Military.com reports.

“The data set used for the initial findings found 198 cancer cases in the missile community, including 13 cases of female breast cancer, 24 cases of prostate cancer, and 23 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma,” the report said.

Adding to the complexity of the issue, service members diagnosed with cancer had trouble seeking Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits because many believed they wouldn’t be eligible since little definitive evidence tied their diagnoses to their assigned duties.

“Some have been told their illness or injury was not connected to service or that their diagnosis occurred outside the military system with private practice doctor long after separation,” the report said.

The U.S. Air Force’s study results are considered “inconclusive,” and more research is expected.

WATCH: Naval Aviator Mike ‘Bing’ Crosby Using His Prostate Cancer Diagnosis to Help Other Veterans with Early Detection.

Added Scrutiny for Nuclear Missile Bases

This new report supplements an earlier report released in late 2023 on the same issue.

The U.S. Air Force spoke with reporters last December and told the Associated Press that “four locations in the underground launch control capsules where the missileers worked had unsafe levels of PCBs — oily or waxy substances that have been identified as a likely carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency. Decontamination of those sites is underway.”

Following reports from “scores of those current or former missile launch officers” who worked in the nuclear missile community, speaking out about their health issues, “medical teams have conducted thousands of tests of the air, water, soil, and surface areas inside and around each of the Air Force’s three nuclear missile bases.”

The three bases are Montana’s Malmstrom Air Force Base, North Dakota’s Minot Air Force Base, and Wyoming’s F.E. Warren Air Force Base.

Last year, the air, water, and soil were deemed “safe” despite several years of ongoing concerns.

Col. Tory Woodard, commander of the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, told AP News, “We can’t go back and test to fully quantify what was there in the ’90s or 2000s, or even the ’50s and ’60s.

“But we can use this data to help us inform what those risks might have been.”

Helping Veterans Navigate the VA System for Cancer Care

The Veterans Affairs (VA) system can be intimidating, but navigating it for the care you need doesn’t have to be. The VA Healthcare System offers a wide range of services for veterans.

There are many VA medical centers across the country — and you can check accesstocare.va.gov to see which specialties are offered at locations in your area.

“In certain circumstances, it may be required that you get referred to the community for the ability to see a urologist; you’ll have to go to a community urologist for further evaluation,” Dr. Rettig says.

“However, at most VAs, including the VA I work at, all of the subspecialty care is contained within our VA medical center. So, a urologist would receive the consultation, you would be seen and evaluated, and a biopsy could potentially be done. At that point, once the diagnosis is established, then we have to talk about what the next steps are in evaluating your prostate cancer and its extent.”

Though the VA Health Care workers are there to assist you, you are encouraged to do your own research.

WATCH: Helping Veterans With Their Mental Health.

Veterans Diagnosed with Cancer

The VA’s Precision Oncology Program (POP) offers cancer care for veterans by focusing on personalized treatment in cancer therapy through genetic information.

One of the things POP does is give veterans access to clinical trials. Involvement in a trial can be life-saving and is crucial for advancing cancer care. Veterans can also contribute their health data to research while maintaining privacy and confidentiality.

POP includes several specialized programs, including the Lung Precision Oncology Program (LPOP), the Precision Oncology Program for Cancer of the Prostate (POPCaP), and the Computer Vision and Machine Learning in Precision Oncology (CoMPL) program. Each of these initiatives addresses a different aspect of cancer care.

In addition to its work in genetics, POP has formed partnerships that further expand its research and its available treatment options to veterans. Collaboration with other organizations has increased the scope of the program.

Helping Veterans With Prostate Cancer

One in five U.S. military veterans will develop prostate cancer in their lifetimes, according to research published in the Journal of the American Urological Association. Awareness of basic prostate cancer screening can make a huge difference.

“Today Show” weatherman Al Roker, 69, is a prostate cancer survivor and is working with SurvivorNet to help spread the important message of cancer awareness and early detection with an emphasis on veterans.

“SurvivorNet has created a prostate cancer resource tailored specifically to help and support veterans who are going through a prostate cancer journey,” Roker said in a video message.

“Veterans Prostate Cancer Awareness is dedicated to saving lives through awareness, early detection, and education, and together they are on a mission to ensure our heroes get the care they deserve…Remember, awareness saves lives,” Roker continued.