How do I get notice of these meetings?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK195095/
The meeting reported that “Ocular melanoma” is being studied because “A Vietnam veteran who had choroidal melanoma submitted information received from VA after a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The data are not adequately explained and labeled, but they suggest that the condition is being treated in VA facilities far more often than expected on the basis of national incidence rates.”
The veteran who spoke on behalf of MDS spoke only of Agent Orange being thinned by diesel and jet fuel to be sprayed and the committee opined that the benzene in the fuel would dissipate before hitting the surface. No science, no facts, nothing other than the committee’s opinion. Not even a mention of AO itself containing a molecule of benzene. Ranch Hand missions were flown at 140 knots and a height of 50 meters or just above the tree tops. Meaning they had a rapid settling velocity. I feel certain that this was not presented and the committee did not know or care about factual information.
http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/dwhs/S...0Orange001.pdf
I could have presented them with well explained and labeled information from my 2010 FOIA request which leaves no doubt the Vietnam Era veterans are 14,000% more likely than the general population to have MDS - - - one might conclude that is “far more often than expected on the basis of national incidence rates.” With the national incidence of MDS at 4.5 in 100,000 and ‘Nam ERA vets (according to the VA’s own data) were in 2010 at a rate of 768 in 100,000 is certainly “far more often”. This was ALL presented by CD to the committee in the 2010 Chicago meeting of the committee and would have been spoken verbally except you can hardly present 1,000 pages of facts in the VERY limited time allotted to each witness.
Also on the CD was the argument that given the rarity of MDS v multiple myeloma (a presumptive disease for VA purposes), that MDS occurs with more frequency than MM. Argument based again upon FOIA data from the VA.
There were 6,549 cases of AML/MDS identified as being treated at the VA and 9,100 cases of MM identified as such. Since MM is 160% more likely that AML/MDS to occur in the general population, it is reasonable to conclude that there should be 14,560 cases of MM and not 0,100. Since the IOM argues based upon comparison of the diseases amongst ‘Nam vet vs general population, hands down AML/MDS should have been presumptive long before MM based "on the basis of national incidence rates.”
(MDS 4.5 per 100,000 in males vs. 2.7 per 100,000 in females)
Blood (ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts) 2006 108: Abstract 247
© 2006 American Society of Hematology
(Multiple Myeloma 7.2 per 100,000 in males vs 4.9 per 100,000 in females)
National Cancer Institute
http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/mulmy.html
Footnote: I certainly doubt that anyone on the committee ever even looked at the CD.