By David Liu PHD

Saturday May 18, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- A study recently published in the journal Cancer suggests that exposure to agent orange, the herbacide that was used in Vietnam War, is a risk factor for prostate cancer, particularly, advanced prostate cancer in U.S. veterans.

The study led by Mark Garzotto, MD from US. Veterans Hospital in Portland and colleagues found veterans who were exposed to agent orange during the Vietnam War were 75% more likely than those who were not to develop prostate cancer with Glaeson score greather than 7 and more than twice as likely as those who were not exposed to develop prostate cancer with Gleason score greater than 8.

Enrolled in the study were 2,720 veterans who underwent biopsy of whom 32.9% were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 16.9% were diagnosed with high Gleason prostate cancer.

It was found that exposure to agent orange increased the overall risk for prostate cancer, prostate cancer with Gleason score equal to or greater than 7, and prostate cancer with Gleason score equal to or greater than 8 by 52%, 75% and 110%, respectively.

The researchers concluded "The current results indicated that an increased risk of PCa associated with AOe (agent orange exposure) is driven by an increased risk of HGPCa High Gleason prostate cancer) in men who undergo an initial prostate biopsy."