Every year, approximately 24,810 people are diagnosed with a malignant tumor of the brain or spinal cord across the country. Gliomas are the most common type of brain tumor, accounting for 78% of malignant brain tumors. While some brain and spinal cord tumors are more prevalent in individuals with certain inherited or genetic conditions, toxic exposure can also be responsible for brain cancer, which is the case of many Camp Lejeune veterans and family members who drank toxic water at the military base during the last century.
Vinyl chloride exposure has a strong connection with brain cancer in veterans. Researchers found that exposure to vinyl chloride and other solvents increases the risk of brain cancer. According to a study from the British Journal of Cancer, chlorinated solvents such as methylene chloride, perchloroethylene, and 1,2- dichloroethane have been suspected as a cause of glioma, as they are able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Some of these chemicals were lurking in the drinking water at Camp Lejeune for almost 35 years.
Furthermore, a study from Occupational and Environmental Medicine focusing on the link between exposure to chlorinated solvents and glioma and meningioma risk found a connection between carbon tetrachloride and glioma. This association was discovered in analyses of exposed participants with average weekly exposures above the limit correlated with a high risk for this brain tumor. Scientists examined the health impact of six chlorinated solvents on the brain:
Interestingly, parental exposure to solvents can cause childhood brain tumors, according to medical studies. A study from the British Journal of Cancer found that when men are exposed to benzene the year before conceiving, they are more than twice as likely to have a child with a brain tumor. Consequently, veterans and family members who were stationed at Camp Lejeune are more likely to have a baby with brain cancer, as benzene was also present in the drinking water of the military base.
If you are a Camp Lejeune veteran or a family member of one and worry you might have developed brain cancer, these are the symptoms you should be on the lookout for and for which you should seek medical attention immediately:
Are you a Camp Lejeune Marine or a family member of one struggling with brain cancer? If so, we advise you to contact our team of professionals, who will gladly help you find out whether you are eligible to file a claim and obtain financial compensation for your unjust suffering. Because we understand how physically and emotionally draining having cancer can be, we will go to great lengths to simplify the process so that it will require minimal involvement from you. Atraxia Law will assist you in determining your eligibility for filing a Camp Lejeune water contamination claim.
Our team of experts has over 35 years of experience in reviewing toxic exposure claims, so we have the necessary resources and knowledge to offer you the assistance you need if you spent time at Camp Lejeune and developed brain cancer. The only documents we will request are your military records or proof of your stay at the military base and your medical records. If you are eligible, we will put you in touch with a reliable attorney.