GULF WAR VETERANS: Limitations of Available Data for Accurately Determining the Incidence of Tumors

摘要

Based on our completed study, we found that none of the data sources providing information on the health of Gulf War veterans can be used to reliably estimate the incidence of tumors or other illnesses. Existing government data systems are generally limited by poor coverage of the Gulf War veteran population and problems of accuracy and completeness. As a result, it is not known how many Gulf War veterans have tumors or whether they have a higher incidence of them than other veterans. DOD and VA have begun efforts to improve these data systems but have not developed the capability to effectively link information from different sources to assess tumors or other illnesses among Gulf War veterans. DOD and VA also recently funded a few research studies that should provide additional information on tumor cases in the future. However, these studies are not the product of a systematic effort to study the incidence of tumors, and limitations to the studies will prevent them from providing reliable and valid estimates of Gulf War veterans' tumors.