Project Details for

Completed Research Projects

Title: Gulf War And Vietnam Veterans Cancer Incidence Surveillance
Synopsis: This study examined the pattern of cancer cases in Gulf War and Vietnam veterans from New England.
Overall Summary: See project objective.
Overall Project Objective: To examine the pattern of cancer diagnosed in Massachusetts Vietnam veterans as compared with Vietnam-era veterans for the time period 1988-1993. This linkage will be accomplished by linking a computer tape of Massachusetts veterans who received differential bonuses to the Massachusetts Cancer Registry master file and analyzing the resulting linked cases, as was done for the years 1982-1988 in prior study by the Principal Investigator. Another objective is to establish a database linkage for New England area Persian Gulf War veterans so as to be able to examine cancer incidence in this cohort at a later point in time.
Results to Date: Dr. Clapp has obtained the agreement of all the New England Cancer Registry Directors to proceed with the Gulf War Veterans linkage study. Additionally, Dr. Clapp has contacted the staff at Defense Manpower Record System to determine the specific data request and confidentiality requirements for obtaining the roster of New England Gulf War veterans. Dr. Clapp has submitted the required forms and assurances to the Boston University Institutional Review Board. Once approval has been granted the record linkage process will be undertaken. Dr. Clapp has completed his update of cancer incidence in Massachusetts Vietnam veterans compared to Vietnam-era veterans. The study concluded that there were substantially increased numbers of nasal/nasopharyngeal cancer and oral cancer of the 245 cancers in Vietnam veterans diagnosed between the ages of 35 and 64 during the years 1988 to 1993. A Letter to the Editor to the International Journal of Epidemiology describing these findings has been published. Funding support for this project has ended. New requests for funding of this project have been initiated.
Project: VA-4C
Agency: Department Of Veterans Affairs
Location: VAMC Boston
P.I. Name: Richard Clapp
Status: Complete
Study Start Date: October 01, 1994
Estimated Completion Date: March 31, 2000
Specific Aims: 1. Monitor cancer incidence in Gulf War and Vietnam veterans of New England states, as part of the overall surveillance of disease in veterans exposed to environmental hazards; 2. Extend previous studies of cancer incidence and mortality by collecting and analyzing data on Massachusetts Vietnam veterans diagnosed in the years 1988-1993; 3. Analyze the results of the Massachusetts veterans cancer incidence linkage in a nested case-control design incorporating information on military and civilian occupations, branch of service and, where possible, location of service; 4. Establish a roster of Gulf War veterans in New England states, with identifying information such as names, dates of birth, and social security numbers, resulting in a computer file of Gulf War veterans that can be used in future linkage studies examining cancer incidence and mortality from various diseases; 5. Provide a database from which to plan additional clinical and preventative interventions to reduce morbidity and mortality from targeted diseases.
Methodology: In Year 1, we plan to initiate the linkage. In years 2-5, we plan to sort the cases into cancers of interest and other (auxiliary) cancers, analyze the data as a nested case-control study, and present odds ratios for specific cancers in Vietnam veterans compared with Vietnam-era veterans. Also in years 2-5, we plan to devise a system for linking the roster of Gulf War veterans in the New England states with cancer registries in all states which have population-based data.
Publications:
Clapp R . Update of cancer surveillance of veterans in Massachusetts.Int J Epidemiol.1997;26:679-81.