[bailie]

I am very sorry for the loss of your father. These diseases seem to be so relentless. April, the problem for the VA is that it is known that agent orange can cause MDS/Leukemia, but it is extremely difficult to pin the cause to military service. Most people are exposed to the same cancer causing agents throughout their lives. I am part of a study at this time by Dr. Steensma to see if they can pin down agent orange as a source of these diseases. One problem is cigarettes were furnished with all of our meals in the field in Vietnam. Tobacco use is one of the known leading causes of these diseases. That is just one of the problems and why this is so difficult for the VA.