Military Aviation Cancers
Background
Early field work on cancers affecting the veteran military aviation community began with anecdotal data collected by the late retired Commander Tom “Boot” Hill. Tom focused on cancer occurrence among naval aviators at NAS China Lake, CA, and also, the Navy F-14 community. Tom’s work, while not conventional science, successfully framed the issue: cancer clusters within the Navy. Tara Copp, a reporter covering US defense issues, spoke about her familiarity with Tom’s work in this PBS interview.
Before founding VFEA, many of our board members worked alongside other veteran organizations, such as the Red River Valley Association, in organizing a response to Tom’s and Tara’s work. Today, VFEA actively supports efforts for continued research into the likely causes of cancers among the veteran aviation community.
Navy A-6 Intruder pilot Jim Seaman with Squadron VA-185 (Nighthawks) on the USS Midway (1988). Navy Capt. Jim Seaman died of lung cancer at the age of 61.
Initial Studies
Cancer occurrence in veteran military aircrews follows a familiar pattern of diagnosis in the years following military service. Until the Air Force agreed to study cancer occurrence and released its study in May 2021, no branch of the US armed services had conducted a cancer study among its flyers.
So, it was a landmark event when the Air Force concluded in its cancer study that its aircrews had significantly elevated rates of melanoma, prostate, and testicular cancers along with high rates of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The importance of this study was that the science and medicine confirmed the experiences of thousands of Veteran aircrew members who successfully beat cancer, were battling cancer, or saw others lose their cancer fight.
As the Air Force began its study, Betty and Vince worked alongside the late Tom Hill and others to advocate to members of Congress to direct the Department of Defense to perform a much wider study of cancer diagnosis and mortality among all military aviators. This effort produced Section 750 of the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.
Upon passage of the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act by the US Congress, the Department of Defense assigned study responsibility to the Defense Health Agency. In important ways, the larger campaign to raise Congressional awareness with aviator cancer continued in the absence of the findings from the Department of Defense.
In March 2023, the Department of Defense publicly released the findings of its military aviation cancer study. The findings of this study corroborated the Air Force study and added a new cancer, thyroid cancer, to the list of common cancers faced by Veteran flyers. Moreover, the Department of Defense found that Veteran aircrew members face a 24% increased probability of cancer at all body sites.
With the completion of the Department of Defense aviator cancer study, the broader effort to draw attention to Veteran military flyer cancer transitioned from a question to a statement.
The next phase in aviation cancer work is a cancer association study.
DoD Study
Next Steps
The next step in aviation cancer research is to develop an understanding of what in the military aviation operating environments of the US military are the most likely causes of cancer.
When exploring alternatives, the most effective analytical approach involves securing a Congressional authorization within the Veteran’s Administration’s fiscal year budget, complete with specified funding. This allocation would empower the VA to initiate a study contract with the National Academy of Medicine for a comprehensive, multi-year investigation. The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has a solid record of performing large-scale studies pertaining to Veteran human health. They are also the only recognized agency equipped to perform a study at the scale needed to assess all Department of Defense aviation operations.
It is not possible to accurately predict what a proposed NAM study would find. We follow where the science leads. However, we can assert three fundamental expectations about any prospective cancer incidence association study: Firstly, it is likely to uncover factors already recognized for their cancer-causing properties in human health. Secondly, the study could reveal chemicals, agents, and materials previously under suspicion for their potential carcinogenic effects. Thirdly, and perhaps most significant, a NAM study has the potential to unveil novel processes or phenomena not previously measured or linked to cancer.
Upon completion of the proposed NAM study, collaboration between stakeholders and Congress can pave the way for the implementation of laws mandating cancer screening protocols specifically tailored for Veteran flyers across the VA enterprise. These protocols, integrating advanced testing methodologies, aim to enhance the efficiency of cancer screenings. The goal is to facilitate early diagnosis at more manageable stages of cancer, ultimately contributing to improved treatment and health outcomes for Veteran aviators.