Cacodylic Acid and Bladder Cancer: The Legal Implications to a Lingering Medical Debate

Abstract:     
During the Vietnam War, the United States conducted an herbicidal warfare program in South Vietnam to defeat the Viet Cong insurgency. After many years of research, it is now known that the mixture of chemicals in the Program, notably Agent Orange, caused a litany of diseases among Vietnam veterans. Despite this wealth of knowledge, scientists have been unable to link other diseases to the Program. One such illness is urinary bladder cancer, a particularly destructive malignancy. It is unknown how many Vietnam veterans suffer from the disease; however, anecdotal evidence suggests that this issue requires more attention. Emerging studies now suggest that Cacodylic Acid, a chemical used in the Program, may be responsible for bladder cancer among Vietnam veterans. This paper argues that the Department of Veterans Affairs should recognize this potential link by including urinary bladder cancer in the "presumptive category" under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309.

Keywords: Vietnam, Agent Orange, herbicides, Cacodylic Acid, veteran, Veterans Affairs, dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, trichlorophrnoxyacetic, picloram, Institute of Medicine, Agent Orange Act, 38 C.F.R. § 3.309, bladder cancer, disability benefits

Working Paper Series