What Is the Connection between Agent Orange and Cancer?

American forces sprayed nearly 20 million gallons (about 76,000,000 liters) of the herbicide Agent Orange in Vietnam from the early 1960s to early 1970s. Intended to thin the country's thick jungle landscape and make it harder for enemy forces to hide, the military also exposed about 3,000,000 U.S. service members to the toxin, which has proven to cause several types of health problems. Though agent orange and cancer do not necessarily go together, in some cases they are likely linked directly.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), "sufficient evidence" exists to connect exposure to Agent Orange and cancer in certain cases. These instances include cases in which Vietnam veterans have contracted Hodgkin disease, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, soft-tissue sarcoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The ACS also reports that there is "limited" though "suggestive" evidence that Agent Orange and cancer of the lungs, larynx or trachea may be connected as well as multiple myeloma.

The U.S. Veterans Administration has acknowledged the link between Agent Orange and cancer with the aforementioned cases. This agency also has admitted a potential connection between such toxic exposure and other illnesses. These include type 2 diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, chloracne and porphyria cutanea tarda.

A long list of other cancers are suspected to have been caused by Agent Orange, though scientific confirmation is lacking as of 2011. Due to this fact, many veterans who have developed life-threatening illnesses are unable to prove a service connection and receive government compensation. According to the nonprofit VietNow National, the U.S. government first sprayed about 20,000 gallons (about 75,700 liters) of Agent Orange during the Korean War, and some veterans of that war also have received compensation for related illnesses.

The ACS attests that some soldiers may have had a higher chance of being exposed to Agent Orange and cancer risks than others. These chemicals were released from boats, helicopters, planes and even rucksack dispensers. TThose directly involved in the spraying operations, from the Army Chemical Corps, have the highest chance of exposure risks. Others with a higher risk are special operations units that used Agent Orange for quick clearance of more remote areas.

Agent Orange was not just ingested through breathing or drinking water. Some were exposed to the chemical by it merely absorbing through their pores. An online map from the Chicago Tribune shows how Agent Orange was used throughout South Vietnam. It spread not just along the borders with North Vietnam and Cambodia, but all throughout the Asian nation that American soldiers were purportedly trying to secure and defend.