Abstract
Background: The types of central nervous system (CNS) tumors in a patient population with a history of military service were compared to the types of CNS tumors in a similar patient population without a military service history to determine if a relationship exists between military service and CNS tumor type.Methods: This study analyzed data for adult patients diagnosed with an intra- or extra-axial CNS tumor from January 2016 to July 2019. One cohort was constructed of patients who had a history of military service (MIL), and the other cohort was made of patients who did not have a history of military service (NMIL). Appropriate parametric and non-parametric analyses were used to compare frequencies of tumor types between cohorts adjusting for potential confounders.Results: We identified 2001 patients (MIL, n = 190; NMIL, n = 1811). In the MIL cohort, most patients were males, younger, and more racially diverse. In the primary analysis, the MIL cohort showed higher diagnoses of metastatic tumors compared with the NMIL cohort (X2(1)= 3.71, p=.05). The MIL cohort also showed lower diagnoses of meningioma compared to the NMIL cohort. There was no statically significant difference between cohorts or tumors after adjusting for primary source by gender.Conclusions: MIL experience was associated with lower diagnoses of meningioma but higher diagnoses of metastatic cancer, providing support that there may be potential differences in tumor types between patients with a history of military service and those without military history regarding primary CNS tumor frequency.
Highlights
In the past decades, studies comparing the incidence rates of central nervous system (CNS) tumors between patients with a history of military service and those without have delivered conflicting results
The types of central nervous system (CNS) tumors in a patient population with a history of military service were compared to the types of CNS tumors in a similar patient population without a military service history to determine if a relationship exists between military service and CNS tumor type
One cohort was constructed of patients who had a history of military service (MIL), and the other cohort was made of patients who did not have a history of military service (NMIL)
Summary
Studies comparing the incidence rates of central nervous system (CNS) tumors between patients with a history of military service and those without have delivered conflicting results. A later study about this same military population found that there was no increase in brain cancer incidence when compared to non-Gulf War veterans [4]. Other studies, such as those reviewed by the Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides, have demonstrated insufficient evidence to definitively link veteran exposure to Agent Orange with increased incidence of CNS tumors, despite the fact that it is a unique chemical to which the civilian population was largely not exposed [5]. The types of central nervous system (CNS) tumors in a patient population with a history of military service were compared to the types of CNS tumors in a similar patient population without a military service history to determine if a relationship exists between military service and CNS tumor type
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
