Agent Orange linked to some cancers, but not melanoma

Dear Dr. Roach: Your recent column on melanoma piqued my interest. My husband was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam in 1968. He had a melanoma on his neck removed with lymph nodes in 2007. On July 31, 2017, he was declared disabled from exposure, due to damage to his heart and lungs. He died four days later. Could you comment on the possible link? — C.W.

Dear C.W.: Agent Orange was a defoliant agent used by the U.S. military from 1962 to 1971. Several contaminants, including TCDD — a toxic chemical in the dioxin class — was present in this.

The effects of Agent Orange are complex, and the National Academy of Sciences periodically publishes a review. The most recent stated this: “There is evidence of an association between the COIs [chemicals of interest] and soft tissue sarcomas, B-cell lymphomas, and MGUS.

“There is limited evidence of an association between the COIs and bladder cancer; laryngeal cancer; cancers of the lung, bronchus, or trachea; prostate cancer; multiple myeloma; and AL amyloidosis.

“There is insufficient evidence to determine whether there is an association between the COIs and any other specific type of cancer.”

The report looked at melanoma and noted inadequate research to make a statement on whether risk would be increased by exposure.

Major risk factors for melanoma include lighter skin and excess exposure to ultraviolet light. Your husband was almost certainly exposed to excess ultraviolet light in Vietnam. I cannot say whether exposure to Agent Orange increased your husband’s risk for melanoma.