Anaplastic Astrocytoma brain cancer

[boobooren]

My dad was at Camp Lejeune during May, June, and July of 1980. Recently he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, had it removed, but the oncology report came back worse than expected. My dad is only 53 years old and has Anaplastic Astrocytoma brain cancer. He automatically linked it to the contaminated water he bathed in, drank, and breathed at Camp Lejeune. Just wondering if there was anyone out there who has/had a brain tumor or brain cancer. I'm sure dad would love to hear from someone. Thank you!

[bedworth53]

Booboo,
I had an Anaplastic Astrocytoma which was removed in 2007. So far no recurrence. I was stationed at Hadnot Point in the 1980's over the benzene plume. There is an association between brain cancer and exposure to Vinyl Chloride which can form when tetrachlorolethlyne (TCE) is partially dissolved by water. I believe that this is what occurred at Camp Lejeune in the Hadnot Point area. As these contaminants are chlorinated hydrocarbons they can poison humans through a number of different contamination pathways (epidemiologist usually use nine pathways).
I would be happy to talk with anyone who has a brain tumor and support them in their fight against brain cancer.
Dave

[boobooren]

I'm so glad that I found someone because I really didn't think I would! Yeah, we have done the research as to what specific chemicals could have caused the tumor and we linked it to the vinyl chloride. What type of treatment did you do and how was that for you? So glad to here there has been no recurrence. This is still all new to my dad and our family, so it's definitely nice hearing from someone in the same situation. Hope to hear from you soon!

Kendra

[bedworth53]

Boo,
I was treated with surgery to remove the tumor, followed by 6 weeks of radiation/chemotherapy and then a separate chemotherapy regimen for 16 months. I have been fortunate to be near Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa and I have to say the doctors there are first class.
Hope this helps,
Dave

[boobooren]

Great. Glad to hear it. Was it Temodar that you took? Also, how often do you get MRIs done now?

[bedworth53]

Yes, I took Temodar. MRI's were 3 months but as I have been stable I am now on 6 month monitoring.

[boobooren]

wow, that's great! where did you say you think you got it from again? i forgot to look.

[Mary Blakely]

My Mom was diagnosed with brain cancer in October of 1995 and died from lung cancer by August of 96. My Father-in-Law was diagnosed within brain cancer within months of her death and also died from lung cancer within a year of being diagnosed. Both my ex-husbands family and mine lived on Lejeune around the same time in the late 1960s. Coincidence... I think not

[bedworth53]

Booboo,
Could you restate the question?
Dave

[boobooren]

Booboo,
Could you restate the question?
Dave

I looked back at our conversation and got it figured out.Have you gone through the paper work of filing a claim with the military?

[bedworth53]

Boo,
I did file a claim and an appeal with the VA. I won my case for brain cancer but the nexus I used was exposure to Sarin Gas in Desert Storm. At the time I filed this nexus was very strong and I did not know that benzene was a contaminant at Camp Lejeune as that news broke after I filed. By the way, Vinyl Chloride is one of the carcinogens linked by epidemiologists to brain cancer. Vinyl Chloride is caused when TCE and PCE break down with benzene as they did at Camp Lejeune. Vinyl Chloride is also a carcinogen that can be ingested by breathing.
Hope this helps an answers the question
Dave

[boobooren]

Yes, sorry, haven't been on here in awhile, sorry! My parents filled out the paper work with the VA and all that, basically just waiting to hear from them which will probably take a long time. My dad just had his second follow-up MRi which revealed that something was there but will know Monday if it is a tumor, water, or scar tissue. He did his radiation and will be done with Temodar in December. Again, sorry for not responding!

[boobooren]

Hello,
If anyone can help me ,my husband was at camp Lejuene in 1980. I can not find alot of info on Court House Bay water if it was contaminated.We have done all the paper work and just waiting. But I want to get a jump on things I am assuming there will be a chance for an appeal. I want to start getting the requirements for winning the case. He was diagnosed in March of 2012 with an grade3 astrocytoma.