Chemical Exposure: A Hidden Injury

Unlike physical injuries sustained during deployment, exposure to carcinogenic chemicals may not show symptoms immediately. A veteran who was exposed to toxic substances while in uniform might not experience the effects of that exposure until many years later. In some cases, the link between cancer and military service is not immediately obvious, especially when the onset of cancer occurs long after the exposure.

Veterans who sustained a physical injury, such as a back injury from a fall, can usually trace the cause of their injury directly to a specific event. However, with chemical exposure, the long delay between exposure and the appearance of cancer often obscures the connection to military service. Moreover, because chemical-related injuries have many equivalents in the civilian population, it can be harder for veterans to recognize that their cancer may have been caused by the same chemicals they were exposed to while in the military.