Munition exposure linked to brain cancer in US vets (Reuters)

[Up2Late]

(This one was Odd, it popped up in my RSS Reader, I clicked on it, then click on a different story, but when I tried to go back to this one, I couldn't find it. I had to Google it and found it at the UK Reuters site. Hummmmm? It's not D.U., but maybe this one will be scrubbed in the U.S. too. Oh wait, I found it, but not on the RSS, link below)

Munition exposure linked to brain cancer in US vets

Mon Jul 25, 2005 9:32 PM BST

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Gulf War veterans exposed to chemical munitions at Khamisiyah, Iraq are nearly twice as likely as their unexposed peers from the same war to die from brain cancer, according to a report in the American Journal of Public Health. "We found an approximately twofold excess of brain cancer deaths, 12 to 13 excess deaths in a population of 100,000 veterans, associated with possible exposure to chemical warfare agents," Tim A. Bullman, from the Department of Veteran Affairs in Washington, DC, and colleagues report.

In the new study, rates of death from specific causes for 100,487 exposed US army veterans were compared with those for 224,980 unexposed veterans. For most diseases, no difference in mortality was seen between the two groups, the investigators point out. The exception was brain cancer for which the exposed group had an elevated risk of death.

Further analysis showed evidence of an effect based exposure levels. For instance, compared with their unexposed peers, veterans exposed to chemical munitions for one day were 72 percent more likely to die from brain cancer, while those exposed for two or more days were 226 percent more likely to die from brain cancer.

However, the investigators caution that additional research is needed to confirm these findings.

SOURCE: American Journal of Public Health, August 2005.

© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
<http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2005-07-25T203304Z_01_B378270_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-BRAIN-CANCER-DC.XML>

<http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2005-07-25T203304Z_01_B378270_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-BRAIN-CANCER-DC.XML>

[grannylib]

1. The other risk our soldiers face (along with Iraqi soldiers and civilians)

is the exposure to depleted uranium from the "dirty bombs" that we dropped both during the Gulf War and in the current War On Iraq. We have soldiers guarding sites that were damaged or destroyed using these weapons, and without the PPE that they should have when exposed to this deadly stuff.
Google Image "iraq depleted uranium" and you'll see some of the most horrific pictures since Minimata. That's what future children of our troops risk, by their parent(s) being exposed to this shit.
Support our troops? Yeah, good idea, why don't we try it sometime?? I'm all for it. Like getting them the fuck away from that shit, and all the Iraqis too.

[Up2Late]

3. Yes, I know. I'm always on the look out for D.U. stories...

...they are hard to find.

I have a link to some horrible pictures, but I don't think most want to see them.:cry:

[grannylib]

5. Want to, maybe not. But think of the impact the one picture out of Viet

Nam had - the little girl running naked down the road, napalm eating into her body.
We NEED those pictures. We NEED to push those images forward. We NEED to horrify people who have refused to face the reality of this filthy, corrupt, cowardly, greed-driven, fear-pushing, war-mongering, sorry-ass bunch of liars and thieves.
Post the link...if people still don't want to see, they don't have to click.

[Up2Late]

10. O.K. But here's my final warning, this link takes you to very Horrable...

...and VERY disturbing photos of DU's effects on infants (most who, hopefully, did not survive long:

The main site is at this link (which also has Graphic Photo's only one or two):

<http://www.einswine.com/atrocities/>

Again, Very Graphic photos at this link:
<http://www.einswine.com/atrocities/du/>

[donco6]

2. Can we say, "Agent Orange". Hmm? eom

[HysteryDiagnosis]

4. If you doubt their story..... don't.

1: J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2004 Jul-Aug;7(4):297-317. Related Articles, Links


Depleted and natural uranium: chemistry and toxicological effects.

Craft E, Abu-Qare A, Flaherty M, Garofolo M, Rincavage H, Abou-Donia M.

Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.

Depleted uranium (DU) is a by-product from the chemical enrichment of naturally occurring uranium. Natural uranium is comprised of three radioactive isotopes: (238)U, (235)U, and (234)U. This enrichment process reduces the radioactivity of DU to roughly 30% of that of natural uranium. Nonmilitary uses of DU include counterweights in airplanes, shields against radiation in medical radiotherapy units and transport of radioactive isotopes. DU has also been used during wartime in heavy tank armor, armor-piercing bullets, and missiles, due to its desirable chemical properties coupled with its decreased radioactivity. DU weapons are used unreservedly by the armed forces. Chemically and toxicologically, DU behaves similarly to natural uranium metal. Although the effects of DU on human health are not easily discerned, they may be produced by both its chemical and radiological properties. DU can be toxic to many bodily systems, as presented in this review. Most importantly, normal functioning of the kidney, brain, liver, and heart can be affected by DU exposure. Numerous other systems can also be affected by DU exposure, and these are also reviewed. Despite the prevalence of DU usage in many applications, limited data exist regarding the toxicological consequences on human health. This review focuses on the chemistry, pharmacokinetics, and toxicological effects of depleted and natural uranium on several systems in the mammalian body. A section on risk assessment concludes the review.

Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial

PMID: 15205046


1: Med Arh. 2004;58(5):275-8. Related Articles, Links


The number of malignant neoplasm in Sarajevo region during the period 1998-2002.

Obralic N, Gavrankapetanovic F, Dizdarevic Z, Duric O, Sisic F, Selak I, Balta S, Nakas B.

Clinical Center University Sarajevo.

Due to the specific war and post-war situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina it is possible to notice some differences in the number, type, advancement, biological course, treatment and its outcome. The actual situation which appeared in connection to depleted uranium has additionally raised questions about its influence on human health and about eventual increase in the number of malignant diseases in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In public, we often see that there are claims about enormous increase in the incidence of cancer. In order to achieve a realistic picture of actual condition and to avoid panic and ignorant attitude, correct and constant data of malignant tumors are necessary. THE AIM OF THE STUDY: To collect and analyze data on population with malignant tumors in the region of Sarajevo city, which represents a symbol of difficult times in our country in the recent past. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We have collected and analysed data on, population with malignant tumors which included persons with permanent residence in Sarajevo Canton during 5-year period, from 01.01.1998, until 31.12.2002. Results were compared to regional and world indicators, and were observed in the light of specific local situation. RESULTS: During period of 5 years (1998-2002) 7733 new cases of malignant tumors were registered in Sarajevo Canton; 3940 among men and 3809 among women. Mostly registered tumors were: lung cancer, amelanotic skin tumors, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, cervical and uterine cancer, urinary bladder cancer, prostate cancer and cancer of larynx. CONCLUSIONS: Number of all malignant tumors in the region of Sarajevo Canton correlates to those in South European countries and the one estimated by GLOBCAN 2000. High number was registered in 1998, possibly due to normalization of the health services (diagnostics and treatment of malignant tumors), which didn't exist during the war and early post-war period. After 2000, there is a gradual increase in the number of people with malignant tumors. The most common tumors are lung and breast cancer. Significant differences to estimation and data registrated in other South European counties is high number of laryngeal cancer, urinary bladder cancer, bone and cartilage sarcoma, brain tumors and malignant lymphomas among both genders. Cervical cancer is extremely high up on the list, which correlates with data in developing countries. The incidence of smoking in Bosnia and Herzegovina is extremely high, almost complete, which can influence not only the appearance of lung cancer but also laryngeal and urinary bladder cancer. It is hard to say whether the war and post-war stress, irregular and insufficient nutrition during and after the siege of the city or some other factor have influenced their appearance among exposed population and differences in the observed incidence.

PMID: 15628249

1: Papathanasiou K, Gianoulis C, Tolikas A, Dovas D, Koutsos J, Fragkedakis N, Papathanasiou N. Related Articles, Links
Effect of depleted uranium weapons used in the Balkan war on the incidence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and invasive cancer of the cervix in Greece.
Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 2005;32(1):58-60.
PMID: 15864941

2: Furlow B. Related Articles, Links
Alternative to depleted uranium is carcinogenic in rats.
Lancet Oncol. 2005 Apr;6(4):198. No abstract available.
PMID: 15830446

3: Obralic N, Gavrankapetanovic F, Dizdarevic Z, Duric O, Sisic F, Selak I, Balta S, Nakas B. Related Articles, Links
The number of malignant neoplasm in Sarajevo region during the period 1998-2002.
Med Arh. 2004;58(5):275-8.
PMID: 15628249

4: Craft E, Abu-Qare A, Flaherty M, Garofolo M, Rincavage H, Abou-Donia M. Related Articles, Links
Depleted and natural uranium: chemistry and toxicological effects.
J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2004 Jul-Aug;7(4):297-317. Review.
PMID: 15205046

5: Tirmarche M, Baysson H, Telle-Lamberton M. Related Articles, Links

Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique. 2004 Feb;52(1):81-90. Review. French.
PMID: 15107695

6: Sztajnkrycer MD, Otten EJ. Related Articles, Links
Chemical and radiological toxicity of depleted uranium.
Mil Med. 2004 Mar;169(3):212-6. Review.
PMID: 15080241

7: Labar B, Rudan I, Ivankovic D, Biloglav Z, Mrsic M, Strnad M, Fucic A, Znaor A, Bradic T, Campbell H. Related Articles, Links
Haematological malignancies in childhood in Croatia: investigating the theories of depleted uranium, chemical plant damage and 'population mixing'.
Eur J Epidemiol. 2004;19(1):55-60.
PMID: 15012023

8: Miller AC, Brooks K, Smith J, Page N. Related Articles, Links
Effect of the militarily-relevant heavy metals, depleted uranium and heavy metal tungsten-alloy on gene expression in human liver carcinoma cells (HepG2).
Mol Cell Biochem. 2004 Jan;255(1-2):247-56.
PMID: 14971665

9: Gustavsson P, Talback M, Lundin A, Lagercrantz B, Gyllestad PE, Fornell L. Related Articles, Links
Incidence of cancer among Swedish military and civil personnel involved in UN missions in the Balkans 1989-99.
Occup Environ Med. 2004 Feb;61(2):171-3.
PMID: 14739385

10: Macfarlane GJ, Biggs AM, Maconochie N, Hotopf M, Doyle P, Lunt M. Related Articles, Links
Incidence of cancer among UK Gulf war veterans: cohort study.
BMJ. 2003 Dec 13;327(7428):1373.
PMID: 14670879

11: Bem H, Bou-Rabee F. Related Articles, Links
Environmental and health consequences of depleted uranium use in the 1991 Gulf War.
Environ Int. 2004 Mar;30(1):123-34. Review.
PMID: 14664872

12: Rooney A. Related Articles, Links
The legacy of depleted uranium.
Lancet Oncol. 2003 Jun;4(6):327. No abstract available.
PMID: 12788391

[Up2Late]

6. No, in fact just the opposite, I do believe this, but I also...

...don't expect this to get much press coverage.

This type of story almost always gets suppressed by, as President Eisenhower called it, the "Military Industrial Complex."

[Up2Late]

7. Here's a Press Release from EurekAlert! that has more details

Public release date: 25-Jul-2005
<http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-07/tna-pet072505.php>

Contact: Natalie Raynor
[e-mail]
202-777-2511
The National Academies
Possible exposure to nerve agents and brain cancer deaths in Gulf War veterans
A new research paper to be published in the August 2005 issue of the American Journal of Public Health finds that Gulf War veterans who may have been exposed to nerve agents during the March 1991 weapons demolitions in Khamisiyah, Iraq, appear to have a higher risk for brain cancer death than veterans who were not exposed. Researchers compared the causes of death in a group of 100,487 possibly exposed U.S. Army Gulf War veterans with those among 224,980 Army Gulf War veterans who were not exposed to nerve agents released during the demolitions and found no difference in overall mortality or all cancer mortality. However, exposed veterans were about twice as likely to have died from brain cancer as unexposed veterans, corresponding to roughly 12 excess deaths due to brain cancer among the 100,487 exposed veterans over a 9-year period. The study's authors said additional research is needed to confirm their findings of a higher brain cancer death risk for some Gulf War veterans.

###

REPORTERS:
To obtain a copy of this paper, contact Natalie Raynor at the American Journal of Public Health at tel. [phone] or e-mail [e-mail]. Advance copies will be available to reporters only. THE PAPER IS EMBARGOED AND NOT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE BEFORE 4 P.M. EDT ON JULY 25. One of the authors of this paper, William Page from the Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C., is available for interviews. Reporters can contact him at tel. [phone] or by e-mail at [e-mail].

<http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-07/tna-pet072505.php>

[goforit]

8. A sad portrait of American brutality via this Cabal.

[James T. Kirk]

9. Damn you, Saddam.

If Iraq hadn't developed chemical weapons, we wouldn't be in this mess.

[PurityOfEssence]

11. News Flash: killin' folks is bad for ya.

Try not to do it.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

12. A MAJOR story - ties in to Bush's lies about WMD

These are Gulf War vets from 1991 who were exposed to destroyed sarin tipped warheads at the gigantic weapons depot inside Iraq known as Khamisiyah. At the end of the First Gulf War, special ops teams were sent by the U.S. into Iraq to destroy Saddam's WMD. Our government repeatedly denied, year after year, that our own soldiers had been exposed to chemical weapons and that our government had intentionally gassed our own people in uniform. Returning Gulf War Veterans were complaining of the phenomenon known as Gulf War Syndrome and the Reigle Commission in the Senate in 1994 finally uncovered the evidence that the Reagan-Bush Administration had allowed private U.S. companies to sell chemical and biological substances to Iraq through export licenses granted by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Reigle Commission tried to obtain additional records from the CIA and the Department of Defense regarding our military's destruction of Saddam's stockpile but they were met with nothing but stonewalling. The U.S. government denied the destruction of Saddam's stockpile right up until 1997 when the CIA finally released a White Paper entitled "Khamisiyah: An Historical Perspective On Related Intelligence". In that document, the CIA admitted to one instance of sarin gas released by the efforts of our own military at Khamisiyah. Since that time, a couple other operations have been admitted to and the evidence keeps trickling out.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/73391p-67913c.html

The reason this is important is because this largely explains where the WMD went, why we didn't find it, and why Bush knew he was lying to the American people and to the world. We destroyed most of Saddam's stockpile, but our government has dragged its feet about admitting it. Bush knew there was no WMD, because our own military destroyed most of it in covert aerial and land demolitions operations inside Iraq at the end of the First Gulf War.

[SoCalDem]

23. AND the way it was destroyed pretty much means

that the items destroyed were not catalogues and indexed against known quantities.. It was just a "Blow that thing up" mission..

So when Saddam said he didn't have an accounting of it all, he was not lying.

[Judi Lynn]

13. Brain cancer linked to nerve agent

Posted 7/25/2005 11:29 PM

Brain cancer linked to nerve agent
By Liz Szabo, USA TODAY

For the first time, a study has found an increase in brain cancer deaths among Gulf War veterans who might have been exposed to the nerve agent sarin by the destruction of Iraqi weapons in 1991.
About 100,000 of the 350,000 Army soldiers in the Persian Gulf could have been exposed to sarin after soldiers blew up two large ammunition caches in Khamisiyah, Iraq, in March 1991, according to a study commissioned by the military and performed by the Institute of Medicine. The institute advises the government on health policy.
(snip)

Later, however, United Nations inspectors found that some of the weapons contained sarin, which can cause convulsions and death. The military has since contacted about 300,000 veterans who were in or near areas that might have been affected. The potential "hazard area," where shifting winds could have carried traces of chemicals, extended at times as far as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

According to the study, soldiers inside the "hazard area" were about twice as likely as those outside it to die from brain cancer. Because the actual number of brain cancer cases was small, the overall mortality rate was the same for veterans in the hazard area and outside the area, according to the study, published in the American Journal of Public Health.
(snip/...)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-07-25-brain-cancer-vets_x.htm

[brentspeak]

14. There has an unusual number of Lou Gehrig disease cases

among Gulf War vets. The Pentagon, in their usual show of support for combat veterans, denied these cases had any connection with exposure to the Iraqi sarin canisters.

[leesa]

15. Right. More likely heavy metal and uranium poisoning from DU

but that's a different story I guess.

[WhiteTara]

16. this is horrifying

how can you all discuss this so calmly? I am screaming. 100,000 young men will die a horrible death from a war 15 years ago and here we are today knowing that we will kill even more from depleted uranium. There has to be another way to live besides war. Now I am really depressed.

[ngGale]

17. We can't seem to get them to ban DU ...

Vietnam vets are still dying from Agent Orange. We are all just one f*ing experiment to them. Our current vets are really screwed, also their children. There is no icon to express my anger - too great!

[Raksha]

26. I'm NOT discussing it calmly...

...actually, I wasn't discussing it at all until now. I've been lurking and reading it with growing horror. One of my best cyber-friends is a Gulf War I veteran. Now he isn't the kind of person who scares easily, but I wonder if he knows about this. I'm torn up about sending him the link to the article. I'm afraid to send it and at the same time I'm afraid not to send it. If he has an increased risk for brain cancer, the VA SHOULD have notified him, but that doesn't mean they did.

I always figured that if he didn't come home with Gulf War syndrome, he was safe, but now I find out there's this brand-new horror I was unaware of before. I don't know what to do.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

18. This story is important as it constitutes growing proof of Bush's WMD lies

At the end of the First Gulf War, the U.S. military took the opportunity to conduct covert aerial and land demolitions operations inside Iraq to rid Saddam of the WMD our own U.S. private companies had sold to him, pursuant to export licenses issued by the Department of Commerce under Reagan/Bush. We secretly destroyed Saddam's WMD stockpile. Our government denied this during the 1994 Reigle hearings in the Senate investigating Gulf War Syndrome. Since that time, little by little, evidence of demolitions activities at the end of Gulf War I has been trickling out. In 1997, the CIA admitted to one instance of the destruction by U.S. troops of sarin tipped warheads at Khamisiyah. And there have seen been others since.

I think it's becoming clear that the Pentagon has the records of our covert destruction of Saddam's WMD. Bush knew, HE KNEW! that we had destroyed Saddam's stockpile. The medical evidence now coming out tying the illnesses of the Gulf War I veterans to the intentional demolition of Saddam's stockpile while our unsuspecting troops were serving in the region is growing. This medical evidence is proof that we destroyed Saddam's chemical weapons stockpile during Gulf War I. Yet, Bush pretended as though Saddam still had all of his WMD or asked him to account for something that only our covert demolitions teams could have recorded. Our government has wanted to avoid any liability for treating these returning veterans, even though we gassed our own people. And the continued denial of these demolitions activities by our government offered Bush a convenient opportunity to claim that Saddam was still a threat. This medical proof is just one more bit of evidence that BUSH KNEW.

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. How many troops did we have over there for GW1?

300,000? Yet for GW2 we sent less then 150,000 for the invasion. I know we've rotated more through there since but that a huge difference in troop strength for a much smaller war.

Second, we sold Saddam his WMD's. Then we destroyed his stockpiles in 1991 but didn't bother to tell anybody. The Dimson has a fit because Saddam can't account for all the WMD's that we knew he had because we had the receipts. So we use this excuse to invade Iraq again, even though Dimson knew Saddam could never account for these WMD's because we had destroyed them but denied any knowledge of them. Tell me again how many people have died for Bu$h's lies?

[DemBones DemBones]

20. This story should replace one of the locked ones on page one.

:kick:

[Up2Late]

21. Kick n/t

:kick:

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

22. \ _o....

[sweetheart]

24. So they found the WMD's

Just it seems they are under different ownership... but i guess
tony blair was right with 45 minutes. These WMD's were 45 minutes
from a launch against britain... just it seems tony attacked the wrong
army. Oh, the hipocrisy is so rich and thick that it stinks like a
barn full of cow shit.

[Up2Late]

25. Yup, I've thought for a long time now, that this War and the Looting...

...were, to a large degree, used to destroy a LOT of the records and maybe even some actual receipts for the WMD's that we sold Saddam in the 1980's.