Air Force Still Not Seeing Higher Cancer Rates Among Missiles as More Data Collected

Current and former airmen who worked on America’s nuclear missiles are not at higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer, according to the latest findings from an ongoing study. air force However, officials explained that there is more data to review before reaching a conclusion.

The latest findings were released as part of periodic updates on an ongoing investigation into health and cancer-related concerns among service members, Air Force Global Strike Command officials said at a town hall Thursday. While the study is ongoing, the service said it wants service members working with nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles to have confidence in its methodology.

Common cancer research now includes data Department of Veterans Affairs electronic records as well as cancer records from the VA and the Department of Defense—some dating back to 1976. The latest data results appeared to show that cancer levels among the nuclear missile community were not higher compared to others. Air Force and general population.

Research into cancer concerns began last year. Space Force officer and former missileman prepared a presentation revealing cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma among those who served. Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. A large-scale investigation followed. Initial data looking only at Department of Defense medical records, showed high rates of breast and prostate cancer among those serving at intercontinental ballistic missile bases.

A. Military.com’s research this year found He said two separate small studies of missile cancer in the early 2000s warned about potential cancer clusters, but no action was taken. Air Force Global Strike Command Gen. Thomas Bussiere told attendees at the town hall meeting Thursday that he understands why current and former service members would be cautious.

“I feel there is some doubt in the community based on the results of the 2001 and 2005 report,” Bussiere said. he said. “I share and have been very vocal about my dissatisfaction with these two reports, but this work, this effort and this energy are much more focused and participatory than the other two times.”

Several adjustments were made to Air Force medical officials’ study results released Thursday; that is, they excluded anyone with less than a year of service in intercontinental ballistic missile-related career fields—leaving more than 19,000 out of the missile community.

Additionally, the methodology for calculating incidence rates was slightly modified and it was determined that “there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of most types of cancer” between the missile community and Air Force chief Col. Anthony Waldroup, officials said. Aerospace medicine for the 711th Human Performance Wing, the town hall said.

Waldroup noted that nearly all data suggest that “the missile community has a lower risk of developing these types of cancers than the general U.S. population,” officials said.

Air Force Global Strike Command officials have put that finding at risk, saying they are about halfway through the data they should be getting.

“The release of preliminary information is only an attempt to be transparent, not definitive, in the journey of discovery,” Bussiere said during the town hall. he said. “About 50% of the data is there, there is still another 50% of the data to review.”

Next steps will examine cancer-specific mortality rates in the missile community, followed by a large-scale survey of civilian tumor registries.

Reviewing state and local cancer registries is a crucial step, as many missileers told Military.com they did not seek care from the VA or the Department of Defense because they did not initially believe their illness was tied to their service. or it had been decades since they had been in uniform and they were already receiving care through their primary private sector physician. These results likely won’t be available until 2025.

But the long wait for findings has been difficult for some.

Missilemen and their families struggle to qualify for VA benefits and connect their service to their illness. Relatives of Mark Holmes, A missileman who died of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2020 at the age of 37spoke at the town hall about the headwinds they were experiencing.

“My son’s death was determined by the VA to be non-service related and not within the scope of the Air Force’s mission,” Dan Holmes, Mark’s father and a former missileman, said in a statement at the town hall. he said. “Mark died in the service of his country, but in addition to fighting against this gutless, soulless, heartless bureaucracy that has been the VA for three years, it now seems to our family that the Air Force, my Air Force, you take care of it.”

Relating to: They Stand Sentry Over America’s Nuclear Missile Arsenal. Many Worry That It Will Give Them Cancer.

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