VOA新闻杂志2023--美国军方调查癌症是否与核基地工作有关

US Military Investigates Whether Cancers Linked to Nuclear Base Work

美国军方调查癌症是否与核基地工作有关

Nine American military officers who worked many years ago at a nuclear missile base have been diagnosed¹ with a rare blood cancer. The Associated Press says military briefing documents suggest the cancer might be linked to the officers' service.

The cancer is non-Hodgkin lymphoma. One of the officers has died from the disease.

The documents were from a meeting led by a top member of the U.S. Space Force, Lieutenant³ Col. Daniel Sebeck. At the time, he suggested a possible connection between the cancer and the time at the missile base.

Sebeck refused the AP's request for comment about the briefing. He said the information was "predecisional."

The soldiers were members of the United States Air Force. All worked at the Malmstrom Air Force base in the western state of Montana. Some worked as long ago as the 1990s.

At the time, Malmstrom had 150 nuclear missile launch structures called silos.

The soldiers who worked there are known as missileers. They work at the base several days straight. They are there to carry out presidential orders concerning the missiles.

At the meeting, Sebeck called the number of military members with cancer "concerning." He also said 455 former missileers are now in the Space Force, including four of those who have cancer.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force told the Associated Press that medical leaders in the military are working to "understand more."

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma strikes about 19 out of 100,000 people in the U.S. each year. That means that nine cancer cases out of only hundreds of former missileers is concerning. In addition, most people diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma are in their 60s. In the case of the military officers, most worked at the base in their 20s and were diagnosed in their 30s and 40s.

It is not the first time health concerns have come up for soldiers who worked at Malmstrom. In 2001, an Air Force health group investigated the base after 14 cases of cancer were reported among missileers who worked there. The report that followed said the base was safe and that "sometimes illnesses tend to occur by chance alone."

The news of the new cancer concern comes at the same time the U.S. military is talking more openly about the hazards⁴ soldiers face while serving. For example, President Joe Biden signed a law last August that offered more health services to former soldiers who may have been in contact with dangerous substances in smoke.

It is possible 3.5 million people could have health problems from such smoke.

Part of the new law said soldiers with health problems would be offered healthcare without having to prove their sickness came from the time they served in the military.

When asked about the cancer cases among the soldiers who worked at the missile centers, the Air Force spokesperson said "we are heartbroken for all who have lost loved ones or are currently⁶ facing cancer of any kind."

At the same time, however, Sebeck's report noted⁷ that missileers should be "screened and tracked for the rest of their lives."

Words in This Story

diagnose² –v. to give a medical opinion about a sickness or health problem

launch –v. to put something into action or into the air, such as a rocket or missile

illness –n. a sickness or health problem

tend –v. used to describe something that often happens

occur –v. to happen

hazard⁵ –n. something dangerous

screen –v. to check for the presence of something

1 diagnosed   

诊断( diagnose的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Some foetal malformations cannot be diagnosed until late in pregnancy. 有些胎儿的畸形部位得等到妊娠后期才能诊断出来。
• He diagnosed the trouble that caused the engine to knock. 他找出了引擎咔咔响的毛病所在。

2 diagnose   

vt.诊断，判断

参考例句：

• It provides a new method for early diagnose of breast cancer.为临床早期诊断乳腺癌提供一个新的检查手段。
• What more will you want to know to diagnose this problem?要弄清这个问题，你还需要知道些什么？

3 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

4 hazards   

危险( hazard的名词复数 )； 冒险的事； 危害物； 危险的根源

参考例句：

• The racer meant to win the 500-mile race at all hazards. 这位竞赛者决心不顾一切危险，赢得这场500英里的车赛。
• Are you aware of the hazards of mountaineering? 你知道登山运动的危险吗？

5 hazard   

n.危险，危害；vt.冒...的危险，使遭危险

参考例句：

• He climbed into the car at the hazard of his life.他冒着生命危险进了汽车。
• I think we have provided for every possible hazard.我认为我们已经准备好了应付每一种可能的危险。

6 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。