New Study Reveals Link Between Camp LeJeune Water Contamination and Cancer

– MATT SAUERWALD, VICE-PRESIDENT, VETERANS HELP GROUP

Matt Sauerwald has dedicated many years of his life advocating for Veterans who are seeking help with their VA disability benefits. He has fought for thousands of U.S. veterans over the years with his thorough knowledge of the Veterans Administration and the VA disability application and appeals processes. 

In this article, Matt will help explain the newly revealed links between the Camp LeJeune Water Contamination and cancer in veterans.

Toxic exposure at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina was so widespread that two separate pieces of federal legislation have been passed to help veterans and others who got sick as a result.

The first piece of legislation to be passed was in 2012. This created healthcare eligibility for 15 conditions that had been connected to Camp LeJeune exposures and established several presumptive service connections: 

• Adult leukemia
• Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
• Bladder cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Liver cancer
• Multiple myeloma
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Parkison’s disease

The second, in 2022, created a federal cause of action for service members, civilian staff, and family members who lived or worked at Camp LeJeune during the specified time and developed illnesses or medical conditions due to toxic exposures. The time to file these federal claims runs out in August 2024. Note, though, that the federal claims are separate from VA disability benefits for conditions connected to Camp LeJeune exposure. There’s no deadline for filing a claim for disability benefits. 

A new study suggests that Camp LeJeune water contamination exposures may be connected to even more medical conditions. 

New Study Results on Camp LeJeune Water Contamination 

Though the Camp LeJeune contamination and potential health effects were discovered long ago, research into the extent of those effects has been ongoing. A recently released study found that those who served or worked at Camp LeJeune were significantly more likely to have died from certain cancers than those who served and worked at another base with no known contamination during the same time period. 

Increased risk among the Camp LeJeune group included higher risk of: 

• Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Esophageal cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Liver cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Rectal cancer
• Soft tissue cancer
• Lung cancer
• Pancreatic cancer

The increased risk levels differed depending on the duration of exposures, and civilian workers appeared to have different risk levels than service members for certain types of cancer. 

Veterans Benefits and Newly-Connected Conditions

It’s important to note that although this study has suggested a link between additional medical conditions and Camp LeJeune water contamination, these conditions have not been added to the list of presumptive service-connected conditions for VA disability purposes. While the list could be expanded in the future, veterans suffering from one of these conditions may be able to establish a service connection without the presumption. 

If you’re considering filing a VA disability claim or have filed a claim and been denied, talk to one of our experienced VA disability benefits advocates. We put our extensive knowledge of VA disability law and procedures to work for veterans and their families every day. To learn more, call 855-855–8992 right now, or fill out our contact form here.

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