If you or a loved one were diagnosed with kidney cancer after being exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, you may be entitled to recover compensation from a Camp Lejeune kidney cancer lawsuit case or settlement claim.
A team of Camp Lejeune injury lawyers and class action attorneys is investigating potential lawsuit cases and settlement claims of individuals who were diagnosed with kidney cancer after being exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base.
Kidney cancer is a form of cancer that originates in the kidney when healthy kidney cells in one or both of the kidneys become abnormal (mutate), grow out of control and form a lump (tumor). It is estimated that almost 80,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with kidney cancer each year and almost 14,000 people die each year due to kidney cancer.
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune may be associated with an increased risk of developing kidney cancer.
Camp Lejeune Kidney Cancer Lawsuit Claims
Camp Lejeune kidney cancer lawsuit and settlement cases potentially being investigated include claims of individuals who were diagnosed with kidney cancer after being exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987:
- Kidney cancer
- Renal cancer
- Renal cell cancer
- Renal cell carcinoma (RCC)
- Clear cell kidney cancer
- Papillary kidney cancer
- Urothelial carcinoma
- Transitional cell carcinoma
- Other Camp Lejeune cancer injury cases
Camp Lejeune Renal Cancer Injury Cases
Various studies have reported a potential link between the contaminants found in the water at Camp Lejeune and renal cancer. For instance, according to the National Cancer Institute, prolonged or repeated exposure to Trichloroethylene TCE (one of the chemicals found in the water at Camp Lejeune) causes kidney cancer.
According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a well-documented kidney carcinogen based on a substantial body of evidence including mechanistic and animal studies, as well as reports from occupational settings.” A study in the Journal of Anticancer Research concluded that exposure to Trichloroethylene TCE was “significantly associated with mortality from kidney cancer.” A study published in the journal of Occupational Environmental Medicine estimated that exposure to trichloroethylene may result in a 30%-40% excess risk of kidney cancer.
A study published in the Journal of Environmental Health that compared mortality rates of Marine and Naval personnel stationed at Camp Lejeune with those personnel stationed at Camp Pendleton in Southern California (where the drinking water was not contaminated) found elevated mortality hazard ratios (HRs) for various cancers, including renal cancer. According to the study, renal cancer had a mortality hazard ratio of 1.35 (i.e., those stationed at Camp Lejeune had a 35% increased risk of dying from renal cancer versus those stationed at Camp Pendleton).
Similarly, another study published in the journal of Occupational Environmental Medicine found that high exposure to perchloroethylene or PERC (another one of the chemicals found in the water at Camp Lejeune) was associated with the development of kidney cancer.
In addition, a study published in Occupational Medicine addressing the health effects of exposure to chemicals such as benzene and vinyl chloride (other chemicals found in the water at Camp Lejeune) similarly found that the “risk of renal cell carcinoma increased with duration of exposure to benzene … and vinyl chloride.”
Kidney Cancer Signs & Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of kidney cancer can include:
- Anemia (decrease in hemoglobin or red blood cells)
- Blood in urine (hematuria)
- Weight loss
- Pain in lower back
- Lump/mass in abdomen, lower back or waist
- Fever or night sweats
- Lost appetite
- Feeling tired
- Feeling weak or in poor health
- Enlarged varicose vein (varicocele)
- Swelling or flushing
- Other kidney cancer symptoms
Tools and procedures used by doctors (such as a urologist or oncologist) to diagnose kidney cancer can include a physical examination, family/medical history, imaging tests (CAT scan, PET scan, X-ray, MRI, cystoscopy and nephro-ureteroscopy, etc.), blood and urine tests (to check for cancer cells), and biopsy of the kidney, among others.
Kidney Cancer Complications
Kidney cancer complications can potentially include hypertension (high blood pressure), hypercalcemia (high calcium levels), renal failure, polycythemia (elevated red bloods cells), constipation, abdominal bloating, paraneoplastic syndromes, kidney cancer metastasis to other parts of the body and/or death, among others. According to the American Cancer Society, the 5 year overall relative survival rate of people diagnosed with cancers of the kidney is 76%.
Kidney Cancer Treatment
Kidney cancer treatment can include surgery to remove of part or all of kidney or nearby organs (including partial nephrectomy, radical nephrectomy, cytoreductive nephrectomy, simple nephrectomy, metastasectomy, etc.), radiofrequency ablation (to destroy the kidney cancer with an electric current), cryotherapy (to freeze the kidney cancer cells), chemotherapy (to destroy the kidney cancer cells with medication), raditiation therapy (to destroy kidney cancer using x-rays), immunotherapy (to help improve the body’s natural defenses to fighting kidney cancer cells), targeted drug therapy (to target kidney cancer specific genes and proteins to block growth or spread of the disease), dialysis machine, and/or a kidney transplant, among others.
If you or a loved one were diagnosed with kidney cancer after being exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, you may be entitled to compensation from a Camp Lejeune kidney cancer lawsuit case or settlement claim. Contact an injury lawyer to request a free case review.
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