A cross-sectional study comparing tumor profiles between military personnel and the general population: Insights from the NHANES database

Medicine (Baltimore). 2026 Jul 3;105(27):e49555. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000049555.

ABSTRACT

Military personnel are routinely exposed to a range of occupational and environmental hazards (including chemical agents, radiation, physical stress, and psychological trauma) that may uniquely influence their long-term health outcomes. Emerging evidence suggests that such exposures could alter cancer risk profiles, yet comprehensive comparisons of tumor prevalence and distribution between military and civilian populations remain limited. Leveraging a nationally representative dataset, this study addresses this gap by systematically comparing cancer profiles between United States military veterans and the general population, thereby informing targeted prevention strategies and etiological research in occupational health. This study aims to compare cancer prevalence and profiles between military personnel and the general population to investigate the association between military service and tumor risk. This cross-sectional analysis utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database. The primary outcome was self-reported cancer prevalence. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between military service and cancer occurrence, adjusting for key demographic and lifestyle covariates including age, sex, race, smoking status, and socioeconomic factors. Among 12,174 participants, 1904 (15.64%) had a history of military service. Military veterans were significantly older (66.17 ± 0.43 vs 52.79 ± 0.31 years), had a higher proportion of White individuals (85.45% vs 69.74%), and higher smoking rates (66.01% vs 43.32%) compared to the nonmilitary population (all P < .001). Cancer prevalence was markedly higher in veterans (76.95% vs 46.87%, P < .001), with notably elevated rates of thyroid, dermatological, and skeletal cancers. After adjustment for confounders, nonmilitary individuals had significantly lower odds of tumor occurrence (adjusted odds ratio = 0.40, 95% confidence interval 0.31-0.53). Military service is associated with a significantly increased prevalence of tumors, particularly thyroid cancer. The findings underscore the need for further research into the underlying mechanisms and enhanced health protection strategies for military personnel.

PMID:42410779 | PMC:PMC13337086 | DOI:10.1097/MD.0000000000049555