Breast Cancer Linked To Contaminated Water At Camp Lejeune
An increased risk of Breast Cancer has been identified by professionals who’ve studied the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and veteran medical records as a particularly common diagnosis.
About Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer is a cancer that forms in the cells of the breast.
Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer for women behind skin cancer.
Breast cancer can develop due to a number of different causes, including genetic or environmental risk factors.
In the case of Camp Lejeune water contamination, exposure to certain industrial chemicals or toxic chemicals has been found to lead to breast cancer in both men and women.
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2022:
- About 287,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women.
- About 51,400 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) will be diagnosed.
- About 43,250 women will die from breast cancer.
Breast Cancer and its Causes
Breast cancer diagnosis can be linked to a number of different factors, both environmental factors and non-environmental, genetic factors.
Environmental Breast Cancer risk factors include, but are not limited to:
- Previous treatment using radiation therapy. Women who had radiation therapy to the chest or breasts (for instance, treatment of Hodgkin’s lymphoma) before age 30 have a higher risk of getting breast cancer later in life.
- Exposure to the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES). DES was given to some pregnant women in the United States between 1940 and 1971 to prevent miscarriage. Women who took DES, or whose mothers took DES while pregnant with them, have a higher risk of getting breast cancer.
- Exposure to toxic chemicals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). People who have been exposed to toxic chemicals and VOCs may experience an elevated risk of breast cancer.
In terms of exposure to chemical contaminants, the water contamination at Camp Lejeune is no exception.
In commentary on the Camp Lejeune water contamination, medical professionals have postulated that exposure to tetrachloroethylene (PCE or PERC), trichloroethylene (TCE) and benzene, main contaminants at the Marine Corps Base, have resulted in breast cancer diagnoses.
Research on the relation of PCE and Breast Cancer include:
Breast Cancer Symptoms and Complications
Breast cancer symptoms vary, with some being easily visible and detectable, and others being more difficult to identify
The symptoms of breast cancer include, but are not limited to, the following:
- New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit).
- Thickening or swelling of part of the breast.
- Irritation or dimpling of breast skin.
- Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast.
- Pulling-in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area.
- Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood.
- Any change in the size or the shape of the breast.
- Pain in any area of the breast.
There are serious complications associated with breast cancer, especially if treatment isn’t undertaken as soon as the warning signs appear.
- Cancer-related pain
- Bone-related pain and complications
- Spinal compression
- Hypercalcemia (elevated amounts of calcium in the blood that can lead to kidney stones, kidney failure, irregular heartbeat and neurological issues)
- Lung complications
- Liver complications
- Brain-related complications
- Health problems from cancer treatments
What Other Health Conditions Has Water Contamination At Camp Lejeune Been Linked To?
The consumption of Camp Lejeune contaminated water has been linked to a number of cancer and non-cancer diagnoses including, but not limited to:
- Prostate Cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Lung Cancer
- Liver Cancer
- Kidney Cancer
- Adult Leukemia
- Aplastic Anemia
- Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Renal Toxicity
- Multiple Myeloma
- Other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Miscarriage, infertility and birth defects
- Many more diagnoses
Service members, their families, civilian workers, and countless others were diagnosed with deadly health conditions, and for years could not secure the benefits they desperately need.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act: Helping those Exposed to Camp Lejeune's Contaminated Water Supply
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act is a new piece of legislation that has been signed into law by President Biden.
This bill is encompassed by the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, which grants new health care, disability benefits and Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits to veterans exposed to toxic substances during their military service.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act affords Camp Lejeune residents the ability to sue and recover damages for exposure to the toxic substances in the water supply, one of the first times the federal government has allowed legal action of this sort.
Camp Lejeune veterans and Camp Lejeune families will be able to secure compensation for health problems and medical expenses related to the toxic chemicals they were exposed to while living on the base.
Those eligible will file Camp Lejeune lawsuits in the U.S. District Court: Eastern District of North Carolina.
In the past, several bills were introduced to address the issue at the North Carolina military base but none have had any widespread impact for victims and families.
Now, people who were denied benefits or compensation in the past may have a fair shot at adequate compensation.
Camp Lejeune Breast Cancer Lawsuit
With the Senate passage of the PACT Act, and the signing of the bill into law by President Biden, Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuits are able to be filed by any person exposed to contaminated water at the Marine Corps base between 1953 and 1987.
If you, a family member or a loved one was exposed to toxic water at Camp Lejeune between these dates, and developed breast cancer, you may qualify to file a Camp Lejeune Lawsuit.
We thank the brave veterans for their service to our country. Now let us serve you. Our law firm is dedicated to achieving justice for service members and their families.
TorHoerman Law is accepting clients for Camp Lejeune Cancer Lawsuits in all 50 states.
Contact us for a free consultation or use the chatbot on this page to see if you qualify for legal action instantly.
Our law firm works on a contingency fee basis, meaning you are not required to pay attorney fees unless your case wins compensation.
