What is Agent Orange?
By From staff reports
Published in News on May 27, 2012 1:50 AM
Agent Orange is a blend of tactical herbicides the U.S. military sprayed from 1962 to 1971 during Operation Ranch Hand in the Vietnam War to remove trees and dense tropical foliage that provided enemy cover.
More than 19 million gallons of various herbicide combinations were sprayed, but Agent Orange was used most often.
The VA has recognized certain cancers and other health problems as diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service. Veterans and their survivors may be eligible for disability compensation or survivors' benefits for these diseases. The list includes:
* AL Amyloidosis -- A rare disease caused when an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters tissues or organs.
* Chronic B-cell Leukemia -- A type of cancer which affects white blood cells.
* Chloracne -- A skin condition that occurs soon after exposure to chemicals and looks like common forms of acne seen in teenagers. Under VA's rating regulations, chloracne must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
* Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 -- A disease characterized by high blood sugar levels resulting from the body's inability to respond properly to the hormone insulin.
* Hodgkin's Disease -- A malignant lymphoma characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, and by progressive anemia.
* Ischemic Heart Disease -- A disease characterized by a reduced supply of blood to the heart, that leads to chest pain.
* Multiple Myeloma -- A cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell in bone marrow.
* Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma -- A group of cancers that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue.
* Parkinson's Disease -- A progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects muscle movement.
* Peripheral Neuropathy, Acute and Subacute -- A nervous system condition that causes numbness, tingling, and motor weakness. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides and resolve within two years after the date it began.
* Porphyria Cutanea Tarda -- A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
* Prostate Cancer -- Cancer of the prostate.
* Respiratory Cancers -- Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus.
* Soft Tissue Sarcomas, other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, or mesothelioma -- A group of different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues.
-- Information courtesy of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs