A major study commissioned by U.S. Special Operations Command has found that special operations troops experience higher rates of cancer than the rest of the military, providing the clearest evidence yet that an issue long discussed within the SOF community deserves closer examination. The study, which analyzed health records from more than 231,000 special operations personnel and compared them with more than 5 million non-special operations service members, found that special operators experienced an overall cancer incidence rate 18% higher than their conventional force counterparts. Researchers also identified significantly higher rates of several specific cancers, including melanoma and testicular cancer. In some cases, special operators were diagnosed years earlier than other service members. The findings come from SOCOM's Special Operations Forces Cancer Study, one of the largest examinations of cancer incidence and mortality ever conducted within the special operations community. While the study found elevated cancer rates, researchers emphasized that it was designed to determine whether a difference existed, not why it existed. According to the full report, additional research is needed to better understand potential occupational, environmental and lifestyle factors that may contribute to the trend. The findings add new urgency to a question that has circulated among operators, veterans and advocacy groups for years: Are unique aspects of special operations service increasing long-term health risks? "Twenty-five years in USSOCOM gave me a front-row seat to what this community asks of its people, and what it costs them," said John Doolittle, a retired Navy SEAL captain who previously helped lead USSOCOM's Preservation of the Force and Family program and now serves as a senior adviser for human performance and readiness at Leidos. "This study confirms what many of us have long suspected, that a career in Special Operations includes a measurable increase in cancer risk." The report arrives as the Department of Veterans Affairs continues a broad effort to better understand military-related health conditions and toxic exposures. Since the implementation of the PACT Act, the VA has screened more than 5 million veterans for toxic exposures, with approximately 43% reporting at least one potential exposure during military service.