WARNING: The following information might make you wonder if your prostate gland has been exposed to harmful chemicals. Let’s start with some old news about Agent Orange. The years are 1962-70. U.S. troops are fighting in Vietnam. A plant killer called Agent Orange (named for the orange stripe on its 55- gallon storage drums) is being used to destroy jungle foliage in which the enemy hid. Although it’s been formulated to interfere with plant hormones that regulate growth, manufacturing it results in an unavoidable byproduct, a highly toxic chemical called dioxin.

An unknown amount of dioxin contaminates Agent Orange. Materials available from the National Library of Medicine explain the delivery systems that can expose soldiers to it. The herbicide was drop sprayed from planes, applied around base perimeters by trucks, and in some cases sprayed by individual soldiers from a backpack type applicator. In addition, Navy boats sprayed the banks of rivers.

Herbicide use in Vietnam was discontinued in 1970. The war ended in 1975. In 1978, the Veterans Administration began offering special access to health care for those exposed to Agent Orange, and bumped it up to priority medical care in 1981. According to a 2010 press release, the VA “… has been providing disability compensation to Veterans with medical problems related to Agent Orange since 1985. In practical terms, Veterans who served in Vietnam during the war and who have a ‘presumed’ illness do not have to prove an association between their illnesses and their military service.” In other words, if a veteran of the Vietnam war is diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa), it is presumed Agent Orange is a causal factor.

It’s now 10 years since national news stories announced that exposure to Agent Orange raises the risk of aggressive prostate cancer (PCa). Subsequent research has reinforced the causal link. The most recent, a study awaiting peer review, was released on June 16, 2023 by a health science prepublication service. The authors accessed records for more than 200,000 men exposed to Agent Orange during their Vietnam service. After correcting for other factors, the authors concluded that “Agent Orange exposure is an independent risk factor for PCa diagnosis.”^[i]

Agent Orange is not the only chemical culprit

The Vietnam-era plant killer is not alone in threatening health. Besides known genetic and lifestyle PCa risk factors, exposure to environmental toxins can increase its chances. Such toxins are called carcinogens (cancer-causing agents), but carcinogenesis is usually slow and gradual. Causality is hard to prove because many years can pass before exposure and the onset of cancer.

However, in the case of PCa, science has identified chemicals that can influence the development of several other cancers and even neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease. The following are known precursors for PCa:

• Occupational exposure to cadmium
• Cigarette smoke
• Direct or indirect exposure to pesticides (e.g., DDT, heptachlor) through food, water, air and the environment
• Occupational exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
• Other endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDC) that can cause hormonal dysfunction in adult males, such as bisphenol A (BPA) used in the production of plastic beverage containers (these chemicals are also associated with the onset of breast cancer).^[ii]

Many government agencies and professional associations are concerned with protecting all of us by regulating chemical production and cleaning up the environment. What can we, as individuals do, to minimize exposure to carcinogens? Here are a few tips from Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now?:

• ✓ Use a water filter for tap water used for drinking and cooking
• ✓ Store and carry water in containers made of glass, stainless steel, or plastic containers free of BPA and phthalates (reducing plastic use also helps the environment.
• ✓ Microwave food in glass containers instead of plastics
• ✓ Reduce or stop use of landscaping pesticides and chemical fertilizers
• ✓ Eat foods grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Eat meat produced without antibiotics, growth hormones, and feed grown with pesticides and fertilizers
• ✓ Avoid or minimize consumption of meat cooked over high heat
• ✓ If you can’t avoid occupational exposure to carcinogens, you can protect your family by removing your shoes at the door, and washing work clothes separately from family laundry
• ✓ Quit smoking, and avoid secondhand smoke.

It is nearly impossible to avoid all carcinogens. The very act of living—being born, growing up, holding a job, enjoying leisure activities, etc.—puts us in the path of things that nurture our health and things that put our wellness at risk. You (and your prostate gland) deserve the best chances to maximize wellness. If you know you’ve been exposed to chemicals that can cause cancer, don’t take chances. Discuss your situation with your doctor. Be sure to get an annual exam, including a PSA blood test, and consider a baseline multiparametric MRI of your prostate gland. Remember: early detection saves lives!

NOTE: This content is solely for purposes of information and does not substitute for diagnostic or medical advice. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing pelvic pain, or have any other health concerns or questions of a personal medical nature.

[i] Lui A, Pagadala M, Zhong A, Lynch J et al. Agent Orange exposure and prostate cancer risk in the Million Veteran Program. MedRxiv. June 16, 2023. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.14.23291413v1.full
[ii] Bleak TC, Calaf GM. Breast and prostate glands affected by environmental substances (Review). Oncol Rep. 2021 Apr;45(4):20.