VA stops releasing data on cancer in vets to researchers

[JohnyCanuck]

VA Cancer Data Blockade May Imperil Surveillance

By Michael Smith, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today
August 31, 2007

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 31 -- Stonewalling by the Veterans Administration is putting U.S. cancer surveillance and research in jeopardy, according to many of the researchers involved in those fields.

After decades of sharing data freely and allowing researchers to get in touch with its patients, the agency has been blocking such activity for the past several years, according to Dennis Deapen, Dr.PH., of the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program and the University of Southern California.

The result, Dr. Deapen said, is that California state data on cancer incidence rates are being skewed. And that, he said, is likely to have serious effects on national data.

The California Cancer Surveillance Program has seen a sharp drop in the agency's reporting of new cases to Californian cancer registries beginning in late 2004 -- from 3,000 cases in 2003 to almost none by the end of 2005, according to an article in the September issue of Lancet Oncology.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/PublicHealth/tb/6563

Can't help but wonder if they are trying to hide something here, like maybe the long term effects of widespread use of depleted uranium in modern US weaponry, the use of untested/toxic vaccines and exposure to various other assorted chemical agents etc. Nah, couldn't be the case. I mean, everyone in the military and VA were honest and forthright about the effects of Agent Orange, so why on earth would we think they would be engaged in a cover up now?

[alfredo]

1. Agent Orange all over again.

[JohnyCanuck]

2. kick n/t

[alfredo]

3. I sent the link to my Army buddies. They are pissed.

[JohnyCanuck]

5. They should probably also watch this YT video

(especially if they are likely to spend any time in Iraq).

A whistleblower who had been hired by Halliburton as a water purification specialist says Halliburton was grossly negligent in maintaining water supplies and provided contaminated water to soldiers in Iraq. Youtube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeIxHQ-lkuM

[alfredo]

8. Thank you.

[lpbk2713]

6. Yet another similarity between Viet Nam and Iraq.

... and the rethuglicans manipulation of vital information to serve their own ends.

[blogslut]

4. Aaargggh!

Of course it's about DU weapons. Money trumps peace and there's a whole lot of money in manufacturing these damned DU devils from hell.

[Colorado Progressive]

7. kick

[orleans]

9. k&r n/t