The intent of the present report is to summarize briefly the work done by the contractor over the life of the study and to serve as a vehicle for cataloging and transmitting that work to VA. The sections below delineate the work of the Columbia University researchers as it evolved from proposal through delivery. It is based on the material provided by the Columbia University researchers in their 6-month progress reports, presentations, draft materials, and final report; and it quotes freely and extensively from these materials.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• COMMITTEE ON THE ASSESSMENT OF WARTIME EXPOSURE TO HERBICIDES IN VIETNAM
• REVIEWERS
• PREFACE
• INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
  • Origin of the Study
  • Conduct of the Study
• CONTRACT SUMMARY
  • Project 1: Military Unit and Herbicide Spraying Databases, and Exposure Assessment Model Development
  • Project 2: Covariates, Confounders, and Consistency: Characterizing the Vietnam Veteran for Epidemiologic Studies
  • Project 3: Evaluation and Standardization of Military Records for Use in Epidemiologic Studies
  • Project 4: Biomarkers ofTCDD (Dioxin) Exposure in Vietnam Veterans
  • Project 5: Analysis of International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Tissue Samples of Selected Vietnamese for Dioxin and Dibenzofuran Levels in Archived Adipose Tissues
  • Evolution of Project Development and Implementation
• PROJECT 1. MILITARY UNIT AND HERBICIDE SPRAYING DATABASES, AND EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT MODEL DEVELOPMENT
  • Consolidation, Quality Control, and Standardization of Databases
  • Expanding Perimeter Spraying Database
  • Continuing Work
  • Accomplishments
• PROJECT 2. COVARIATES, CONFOUNDERS, AND CONSISTENCY: CHARACTERIZING THE VIETNAM VETERAN FOR EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES
  • Follow-Up of the American Legion Survey
  • Outreach to Black and Latino Veterans
  • Study of Women Veterans
  • Continuing Work
  • Accomplishments
• PROJECT 3. EVALUATION AND STANDARDIZATION OF MILITARY RECORDS FOR USE IN EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES
  • Accomplishments
• PROJECT 4. BIOMARKERS OF TCDD (DIOXIN) EXPOSURE IN VIETNAM VETERANS
• PROJECT 5. ANALYSIS OF IARC TISSUE SAMPLES OF SELECTED VIETNAMESE FOR DIOXIN AND DIBENZOFURAN LEVELS IN ARCHIVED ADIPOSE TISSUE
  • Accomplishment
• FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
• REFERENCES
• Appendix A Papers, Reports, and Other Materials Prepared Under the Contract with the Columbia University Researchers
• APPENDIX B Committee and Staff Biographies

Support for this project was provided by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. The project was supported by Cooperative Agreement V101(93)P-1637 between the National Academy of Sciences and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. The views presented in this report are those of the Institute of Medicine Committee on the Assessment of Wartime Exposure to Herbicides in Vietnam and are not necessarily those of the funding agencies.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.