BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- During a virtual town hall today, the ongoing Missile Community Cancer Study reported an increased incidence of testicular cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma among missile community members. Neither cancer is typically associated with adult occupational exposures.
After completing initial analysis of the epidemiology review, the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine team identified an elevated incidence of testicular cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma in the missile community when compared to the Air Force’s non-missile community.
Separately, Phase 2 study data also revealed a statistically significant higher incidence of melanoma in the missile community when compared to the U.S. population. However, the epidemiology community generally has not identified non-UV occupational exposure as a significant contributor to melanoma.
Melanoma incidence has been found to be elevated in other military communities such as the aviation community. Studies to evaluate the cause of this increase in melanoma incidence in the aviation community are underway elsewhere within the Department of War but outside of Air Force Global Strike Command.
These indications emerged after USAFSAM examined all federal and 43 regional registries of epidemiological data, which analyzed 148,078 cancer cases from Air Force personnel who served between 1976-2010. At the conclusion of this study, USAFSAM’s work will be the most comprehensive cancer analysis of its kind, having collected all available Virtual Pooled Registry Cancer Linkage System registries. No other study has had such an expansive dataset against which to compare U.S. Air Force personnel cancer rates.
The Phase 2 study will continue with an in-depth review of specific jobs, time periods, and locations, where feasible.
All other cancers were found to be statistically similar or have a lower incidence rate than the Air Force non-missile community.
In addition to the epidemiology review, the 711th Human Performance Wing evaluated potential adverse health effects for missileers from the historical practice of burning controlled items within Launch Control Centers.
A team of toxicologists, chemists, engineers in physics modeling, and engineers in emissions measurements conducted controlled burns to measure chemical emissions, followed by physics-based modeling to simulate exposure concentrations and assess potential cancer and non-cancer risks for personnel. The overall cancer risk for significant long-term health effects due to this former practice was found to be below occupational threshold level for “elevated” cancer risk. The overall health risk did exceed the threshold for “negligible” effect, but less than “marginal” effect. In this context “negligible” means personnel may have experienced minor eye or respiratory irritation but did not require medical treatment.
While these findings are significant, the USAFSAM commander noted that the study is not yet complete.
“While the Missile Community Cancer Study is making significant progress, it is critical to emphasize that the research is ongoing,” said Col. Ric Speakman, USAFSAM commander. “We are committed to a thorough and methodical scientific process. At this point, we can only conclude that there is an increase in certain cancers among the missile community, not that service in the missile community causes these cancers. Cancer development usually occurs as a combination of multiple factors. The next step is to try to narrow down more precisely who in the missile community may have an elevated cancer incidence. Our primary focus remains on the health and well-being of our missile community, and we will continue our work to ensure a comprehensive and accurate understanding of the findings.”
Additionally, during the town hall hosted by Gen. S.L. Davis, the commander of AFGSC, Speakman and the AFGSC Surgeon General team provided more MCCS updates and showed members how to access their Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record.
The ILER system will allow personnel the ability to link service member and veteran data to known exposures, ensuring the efficient and effective continuity of individualized health care.
The study is in its final stages, and is incorporating burn testing and assessments, to further understand potential health risks to missile community.
As the data is further parsed, the command and the Air Force have worked to keep the missile community safe in the field. Previously identified, isolated and small PCB areas have been marked and either cleaned or mitigated, deep cleaning continues, and bioenvironmental teams continue to monitor the environment.
“The health and well-being of our fellow service members is fundamental to mission readiness,” said Davis. “As a missileer, this is personal for me. I appreciate the progress made so far, and I will continue to ensure a thorough review to ensure the protection of our Airmen.”