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1. What was the purpose of the study?
Some residents who lived at Camp Lejeune from the 1950s through 1985 were exposed to contaminated drinking water. The purpose of this study was to determine if Marines who were exposed to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune were more likley to have male breast cancer.
2. Who was studied?
The study included 71 men with breast cancer (called “cases”) and 373 men who had other cancers (called “controls”). ATSDR used the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) cancer registry to identify these cases and controls. ATSDR selected the controls from cancers that are not associated with solvent exposure; this included 270 men with skin cancer, 71 with mesothelioma, and 32 with bone cancer.
The VA’s cancer registry maintains information from eligible veterans who were diagnosed with or treated for cancer at a VA clinic. Eligible study members were male Marines born before January 1, 1969 and diagnosed with cancer or treated for cancer at a VA medical facility from January 1, 1995, (the start of the VA’s cancer registry) to May 5, 2013 (the latest date that complete medical records were available). Marines born after January 1, 1969 were not old enough to serve during the period of contamination at Camp Lejeune (i.e. they were younger than 17 years of age by the end of 1985 when the contamination ended).
3. Why does this study focus only on male breast cancer?
This study focuses on male breast cancer because there is very limited information on the cause of breast cancer among men. The lack of scientific information on the disease is, in part, due to the uncommon occurrence of the disease among men. For every 1,000 cases of breast cancer in the United States about 7 occur among men. ATSDR’s male breast cancer study aims to further the scientific understanding of the disease by investigating whether exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the drinking water at Camp Lejeune is associated with developing this uncommon disease.
4. Why does the study include only male Marines and not their dependents or civilian employees?
The study includes only male Marines and not their dependents or civilian employees because the VA’s cancer registry is not available for military dependents who lived at Camp Lejeune or civilian workers employed on the base. ATSDR is conducting other health studies that include breast cancer in civilians who worked at Camp Lejeune during the time when the water was contaminated and breast cancer among females who were active duty military members or civilian employees.
5. What did you find?
ATSDR’s study results suggested possible associations between exposure to tetrachloroethylene (PCE), t-1,2 dichloroethylene (DCE), and vinyl chloride at Camp Lejeune and male breast cancer. These results took into account age at diagnosis, race, and service in Vietnam. For PCE, risk increased slightly with increasing levels of exposure.
Exposures to trichloroethylene (TCE), PCE, DCE, and vinyl chloride were also observed to possibly accelerate the onset of male breast cancer.
However, these findings were based on small numbers of exposed cases.
ATSDR intends to evaluate male breast cancer in a planned cancer incidence study that will involve state cancer registries nationwide as well as federal cancer registries.
6. How does this study help, and what does it mean for male Marines who were exposed to VOC-contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune?
This study attempts to answer some of the questions about the health effects of VOC-contaminated drinking water exposures at Camp Lejeune. It also adds to the general knowledge about the health effects of these chemicals. The findings of this study might help male Marines who were exposed to various contaminants in drinking water at Camp Lejeune better understand the association between their exposures and specific health outcomes.
This study makes an important contribution to the scientific knowledge about the health effects of these chemicals. The information from this study, together with other information about the health effects of these chemicals, will play an important role in making decisions about setting acceptable levels of these contaminants in drinking water.
Although the results of this study add to the scientific literature on the health effects of exposures to these chemicals in drinking water, they were based on small numbers of exposed cases.
ATSDR intends to evaluate male breast cancer in a planned cancer incidence study that will involve state cancer registries nationwide as well as federal cancer registries.
Call (800) 605-0082 or get a free case review today to learn more.