VA recognizes veterans' prostate cancer as associated with exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides during military service.
Learn more:
About Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate, a small gland in the male reproductive system.
Signs and Symptoms
- Prostate cancer is often first detected in routine screening, such as in a PSA (prostate-specific antiagen test) or DRE (digital rectal exam).
- Symptoms may include urinary problems, such as trouble urinating or stopping and starting when urinating, though these problems more often result from noncancerous prostate.
- Blood in urine or semen and discomfort in the pelvic area also can develop.
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Research on Prostate Cancer and Herbicides Used in Vietnam
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) concluded in its 1996 Update on Veterans and Agent Orange – Health Effects of Herbicides Used in Vietnam and in future updates that there is limited/suggestive evidence of a positive association between prostate cancer and exposure to herbicides used in Vietnam. This finding reversed an earlier conclusion from the NAS 1993 report on Veterans and Agent Orange that credible evidence existed to associate prostate cancer with herbicide exposure.
Read NAS Institute of Medicine Reports on Veterans and Agent Orange.*†
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VA Benefits for Prostate Cancer
Veterans with prostate cancer who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service may be eligible for:
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Contact VA about Benefits
By Telephone
- Toll-free Helpline: 1-800-749-8387
- Health Care: 1-877-222-8387 (Ask to speak to the Environmental Health Coordinator or Patient Care Advocate)
- Disability Benefits and Other Benefits: 1-800-827-1000
- TDD (for hearing impaired): 1-800-829-4833
In Person
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More Information on Agent Orange
*By clicking on these links, you will leave the Department of Veterans Affairs Web site.
†VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked Web site.
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