The Recent study conducted by CDC revealed new cancers can be linked with the Ongoing Camp Lejeune lawsuit. Civilians and military who were employed and living on Camp Lejeune in North Carolina in the late 1970s and early 1980s will be more likely to develop specific types of cancers in comparison to those working at a similar military facility in California in the same time frame, the highly anticipated new study by the government shows.
The study could create a more comprehensive list of conditions for civilians and veterans who worked at the base to be eligible for federal compensation.
The drinking water in Camp Lejeune was heavily contaminated with various industrial chemicals that cause cancer, such as TCE (also known as trichloroethylene), vinyl chloride, and benzene, from 1953 until 1985. Hundreds of thousands of personnel of both the Marines and Navy and civilians working on the camp were exposed to these chemicals as they consumed the water, breathed in steam from the shower, or simply cleaned their hands.
Studies have previously shown that those who were exposed to contaminants in the waters were more likely to be diagnosed with certain cancers of the organs and blood and around 70 percent more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease. There are also concerns regarding congenital disabilities as well as infertility among people who were exposed.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the most important new study 2015. The study examined the likelihood of developing cancer over a decade after being at the bases.
The study was the focus of a court battle the year before when lawyers representing those claiming to have been injured by the water from Camp Lejeune requested a federal judge to oblige the government to disclose the study’s findings.
Research faces a legal deadline.
The clock was running. In a law passed by the federal government in 2022, those injured from drinking water contaminated from Camp Lejeune have until August 10, 2024, to file an official claim to receive compensation. As of now, there have been more than 160,000 cases made.
“We were worried about this study being destined to be left in the CDC until after the litigation had taken place, and this could aid families somewhat,” said Michael Partain, 56, born at the base of Camp Lejeune in 1968.
The judges in charge of the case resisted requiring the study’s release. Plaintiffs opted to drop an appeal against that decision earlier this month, following promises from a department of the CDC called the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) that the results would be made public before the end of the month.
In a press conference about the study on Tuesday at a news briefing, the researcher, Dr. Aaron Bernstein, director of ATSDR and ATSDR, was adamant about the agency’s timeline for publication.
“I’m fully aware of the many legal concerns concerning Camp Lejeune. Our goal at the CDC with this research and ATSDR is to ensure we’re conducting the most effective research. I’m confident that we’ve done exactly the way that our procedure at the CDC would require us to make sure that the particular piece of science was vetted through the normal procedures of internal review, as well as external peer review.” Bernstein said.
The study was announced on the day of Partain’s birthday. It was a nice present, he said.
“It is a fitting thing to do,” Partain said. “This has been a war between the state and government for a long time.”
Partain and an active Veteran, Jerry Ensminger, 71, has been tirelessly working for the government to acknowledge and pay wounded veterans during Camp Lejeune. Ensminger’s wife was at the base while she was pregnant with their second child, Janey, who developed Leukemia at the age of 6 and died later.
Partain had been diagnosed with breast cancer in a male when he was only 40 years old. Partain believes that his cancer was caused by the exposure to toxins that he received during the womb.
The connection between breast cancer in males and the chemical contamination that occurs at Camp Lejeune has been suspected for many years. The latest study proved that this kind of cancer was much more prevalent in those who worked and lived on the base compared to those who worked or served at another base where the water was clean.
The link between toxic chemicals and cancer
At present to date, to date, the Department of Justice officially recognizes nine medical conditions connected to the contamination of the water at Camp Lejeune: kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, liver cancer, bladder cancer, leukemias, multiple myeloma, Parkinson’s disease kidney disease and systemic Sclerosis. The list is the result of research by ATSDR to study the health effects of the chemicals pumped into the drinking water at Camp Lejeune. This list is used by the US Department of Veterans Affairs, which also utilizes this research to determine the eligibility requirements for health care and other benefits.
For years, those who advocate on behalf of an estimated a million people exposed to the contaminated water in Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1985 have maintained that the government should extend the list of ailments that are inexplicably linked to the dumping chemicals.
“This is yet another evidence that the water quality at Camp Lejeune affected our health,” Partain said. “And this is one more piece of the puzzle. The line does exist to say, “Hey, these people were affected, and the authorities must take them.’ “
In addition to the male and female breast cancers, this study also identified various other cancers that have not been previously proven to be linked to the present bacterial contamination. These included all myeloid cancers, as well as a specific type of blood cancer referred to as polycythemia vera, myelodysplastic as well as myeloproliferative syndromes. These conditions result from blood cells that haven’t been appropriately created or function correctly: tumors in the stomach, voice box, thyroid, soft tissue, and esophagus, marginal B-cell lymphoma, and a few forms of lung cancer.
The study revealed that those who worked for the military in Camp Lejeune had at least a 20 percent higher likelihood of developing these kinds of cancer than those who served at Camp Pendleton in California.
The study found slight differences in risk for civilians, possibly because there were fewer cancer cases in this population and possibly due to their unique types of exposure. People who lived and worked in the area of Camp Lejeune over the study period had a 20% greater chance of developing all myeloid cancers, which included polycythemia and certain types of lung cancer, as well as female breast cancers that are ductal. There was a rise in risk for oral cancers as well as thyroid cancers as well as acute myelogenous Leukemia, blood disorders, B-cell lymphomas, as well as bladder cancer, referred to as nonpapillary bladder cancer.
The study analyzed the fates of over 400,000 service members and others stationed at Camp Lejeune or Camp Pendleton between October 1972 and December 1985. They were found to be alive in 1996. The water in Camp Pendleton wasn’t known to be infected during the period that the research was conducted.
Comparing soldiers’ lives on two different bases provided researchers with an apples-to-apples comparison group because it corrected a bias referred to as the healthy veteran effect. Military personnel tend to live longer and receive more physicals and health checks than all people.
On average, participants who participated in the study were around 35 when they were on bases and 57 when the follow-up period ended. They were monitored for approximately 20 years in total.
Researchers examined the incidence of non-cancer diseases such as chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), as well as chronic liver diseases to find out the consequences of two behaviors that increase the risk of developing cancer: drinking and smoking in their study.
Another unique aspect of this study is that they obtained permission from cancer registry offices across every state and territory to share their research data, which they believe was never previously done.
“This cancer research study is unique in many ways, not least that it’s one of the most comprehensive cohort studies conducted in the United States, having relied on cancer registry information from every state,” Bernstein said.
Apart from its use for those affected by Camp Lejeune, researchers said the findings could provide insight into the risk of cancer posed by exposure to the chemicals mentioned in different situations.
Bernstein stated that the study highlights the need for those in Camp Lejeune during the years of contamination to be aware of their exposure and have regular cancer screenings.
“I believe that they must ensure that they are having regular visits to their physicians and take proper screenings,” he said.
Contact a Lawyer at The Justice Now for Your Camp Lejeune Case
Some of the Key findings of this study includes that Thyroid cancer and Men Breast Cancer are now linked to Camp Lejeune exposure. If you or a loved one of yours has been diagnosed as having cancer or some form of the disease, we know the stress. Although the contaminants in our water were identified some time ago, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to pursue justice. You and your family hoped to be secure under the government’s assurances; however, you were not.
This is why our legal team at The Justice Now is here to assist. We will help you understand the benefits you are eligible for and help you file a suit for the use of the government.
However, it is essential to note that the guidelines for handling the Camp Lejeune water contamination situation are still being developed. However, we’re here to help.
For free consultation, contact us or complete the contact form on our site.
