Cholangiocarcinoma & Vietnam Veterans.

Hello... My father died of Cholangiocarcinoma on Nov. 6 2003. He served in Vietnam. His oncologist told him he had seen many patients with this same type of cancer( my father was treated at an Army Hospital in San Antonio Texas). The Dr. felt there was a connection being that this type of cancer is very rare in this area of the world. He felt he had seen too many cases of it.. and they were all Veterans of Vietnam. My mother filed for benefits and was denied. But with this new information we are trying again. Thanks for getting the word out!!!!

 

On 2/12/2008 pam34 wrote:

My husband just passed away 1-4-08 from a cancer that had spread to his liver but he had a couple of biopsies and they said it could possibily have come from the the bile duct or could have been a cholangiocarcinoma but they could not distinguish it.  So they called it a adenocarcinoma.  I would like to know how I can try to get something done abut it!  How can I do what you are doing?  Thanks

Did your husband serve in Vietnam???

The VA doesn't want you to know that this is out there I am sure that when we gave the symptoms to the doctor for my husband they knew just what it was we found out for sure on July 31st our daughters birthday that it was bile duct cancer and he died Aug 19th in the Indianapolis VA hospital he faired thru the operation very well but he died due to his chest filled up with 4 ltrs of blood. I would be glad to place his name on any list and would love to get this out to others who served our country in Vietnam so that they will be adware of it. Don's cancer was a T1 stage

Pat

Hello everyone,

I am a 61 year old male and served in vietnam in 1966-67. In April of last year the doctors found dialated bile ducts in the right and left side of my liver. Further test, MRI and ERCP revealed Stones in the liver. They removed Stones on three occassions, but the bile duct dialation and strictures continued. My white blood count has been high and the Akaline Phosphate levels have been high continually since that time. I suffer from pain in the Right front near the ribs, and radiates to the back right side. They have taken biopsy on two occassions. (I am waiting for the results of the last biopsy which was take from inside the bile duct at a stricture that the doctor called an ulcer with pus. He tried several time to open the stricture and put in a stent, but was able to get it in. The biopsy from the liver itself has shown Heavy Acute, Chronic cholangitis. The MRI's and doctors all think it is probably cholangiocarcinoma but have been unable to dignose it. So far I have been given on help. I have steadly gotten weaker every day and feel like I am dying a little each day. The weakness and fatigue is very intense, and the pain has increased.  I am totally convinced from all the research I've done that is is from a parasite from Vietnam. All I read says they live in you up to 40 years and around 60 the  damage has been done and the symptoms start. Does anyone know a Doctor who has treated this? My doctors are from a Liver Center in Houston, Texas, but they say this is the most difficult case they have ever seen. I don't think they have ever seen anyone with cholangiocarcinoma caused by Liver Flukes.

Thanks

Don

 

On 2/5/2008 GetTheWordOut wrote:

 

On 1/30/2008 MarineDoc wrote:

Greeting all:

I received an email from a Vietnam Vet that reports that a post to the Vietnam Veterans of America has a post regarding a VN Vet who was recently diagnoised with Cholangiocarcinoma from a parasitic infection he contracted while in Vietnam Link to site:

 http://www.vva.org/veteran/0807/letters.html

Has anyone else heard of cases being diagnosed in Vietnam Vets caused by a parasite infection? 

Thanks, and I wish all well.

Doc 

My husband passed away on 1/20/06 from Cholangiocarcinoma.  The VA has approved my claim and has ruled that his death was service connected as a result of injesting a parasite while serving in Vietnam.

Get The Word Out

 

 

On 2/5/2008 GetTheWordOut wrote:

 

On 1/30/2008 MarineDoc wrote:

Greeting all:

I received an email from a Vietnam Vet that reports that a post to the Vietnam Veterans of America has a post regarding a VN Vet who was recently diagnoised with Cholangiocarcinoma from a parasitic infection he contracted while in Vietnam Link to site:

 http://www.vva.org/veteran/0807/letters.html

Has anyone else heard of cases being diagnosed in Vietnam Vets caused by a parasite infection? 

Thanks, and I wish all well.

Doc 

My husband passed away on 1/20/06 from Cholangiocarcinoma.  The VA has approved my claim and has ruled that his death was service connected as a result of injesting a parasite while serving in Vietnam.

Get The Word Out

 

 

On 2/5/2008 GetTheWordOut wrote:

 

On 1/30/2008 MarineDoc wrote:

Greeting all:

I received an email from a Vietnam Vet that reports that a post to the Vietnam Veterans of America has a post regarding a VN Vet who was recently diagnoised with Cholangiocarcinoma from a parasitic infection he contracted while in Vietnam Link to site:

 http://www.vva.org/veteran/0807/letters.html

Has anyone else heard of cases being diagnosed in Vietnam Vets caused by a parasite infection? 

Thanks, and I wish all well.

Doc 

My husband passed away on 1/20/06 from Cholangiocarcinoma.  The VA has approved my claim and has ruled that his death was service connected as a result of injesting a parasite while serving in Vietnam.

Get The Word Out

 

 

On 2/5/2008 GetTheWordOut wrote:

 

On 1/30/2008 MarineDoc wrote:

Greeting all:

I received an email from a Vietnam Vet that reports that a post to the Vietnam Veterans of America has a post regarding a VN Vet who was recently diagnoised with Cholangiocarcinoma from a parasitic infection he contracted while in Vietnam Link to site:

 http://www.vva.org/veteran/0807/letters.html

Has anyone else heard of cases being diagnosed in Vietnam Vets caused by a parasite infection? 

Thanks, and I wish all well.

Doc 

My husband passed away on 1/20/06 from Cholangiocarcinoma.  The VA has approved my claim and has ruled that his death was service connected as a result of injesting a parasite while serving in Vietnam.

Get The Word Out

To the person who responded to Doc:

My husband was a Vietnam Veteran (1966-1967) and died of cholangiocarcinoma in June of 1994, eleven weeks after the diagnosis.  Prior to this, he was rarely sick.  I have been through the appeals process with the V.A. and was denied each time.  I went the route of Agent Orange since dioxin is a risk factor in this cancer.  Since you were successful in receiving approval from the liver fluke factor, can you share with me if you had any substantive proof that your husband's cancer was caused by the liver flukes, other than just a diagnosis.  I did searches on the V.A. site and it seems from the ones I read re: this disease are typically rejected byt the V.A..  If you can help me in this regard, it, I would appreciate it so I know if it is feasible to have my case reopened.

Thank you so much. 

I mourn your loss as I continue to mourn mine, even after 14 years.  My husband was 49.

Dorothy

Hello,

 My name is Pam Marz.  My husband just died on July 15th, 2008 of Cholangiocarcinoma.  He would pay Vietnamise kids to go catch him a fish and cook it for him....or a piece of chicken and cook it for him.  He got tired of his mess food and would pay to get anything other than that to eat.  He also did 20 years in the Navy and would do walk-abouts and eat anything he could find in the country.  It came on sudden...we spend the winter in Arizona and by the end of April he was iching like crazy and then the eyes went yellow within a week.  He never had Hepititis or anything like that. He went to the VA and had an MRI done and they diagnosed Cholangiocarcinoma.  We then went to the Univerisity of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center.  They went in and did a liver desection.  2/3 of the liver was removed.  He never opened his eyes for 15 days....then he went into septic shock and he got better...but not much better....We never had "the talk" and that was it.  One month atfer the operation he died.  He was only 61.  I am 54.  I never thought I would be a widow at 54.  I have read all your letters and wonder how you all feel about this.  What should I do?  Is there something I should be doing?  Please help me!  I would love to hear from you all.

 

Thanks, Pammie

Hello,

 This is classic of what I am now dealing with. All of the above applies. My husband who has been my partner in life for over 41 years was normal & healthy 6 weeks ago. He died Yesterday 9-2-08 of this terrible disease. He was 62. It seems the government is dening most claims in these cases, so I am not sure where to go from here. I am so angry & feel so helpless. It is so frustrating to find out that our government knows about this, denies it & does not want to do anything to help out. I will happily add my name to any list involving this. We need to do this in memory of our loved ones & to hopefully help the many others that I am sure this will be affecting in the coming years. Any help or suggestions out there will be greatly appreciated.

 Darla in Wisconsin