By Larry Dandridge
Editor’s note: This article is the fifth in a series of six.
The first four articles in this series of six covered general information a veteran should know when preparing to file a claim for service-connected disability compensation and specific information on burn pits and other environmental hazards. Last week’s article also covered:
- Eligibility Requirements for VA disability compensation.
- Ways a veteran may have been exposed to environmental hazards.
- Presumptive conditions for toxic exposure
- What burn pit and other toxic exposure conditions are presumptive? (Learn more at the VA webpage Presumptive Cancers Related to Burn Pit Exposure” at https://bit.ly/4stHWQ6.
- Some cancers that the VA considers presumptive.
You can read the first four articles in this series in The Island News archives at https://www.yourislandnews.com and click on “Military.”
Use a VA-accredited representative
Veterans should know that filing for military service-connected disability compensation is complex and best done with assistance from a VA-accredited VSO, attorney, or claims agent. VSO services are free. In contrast, VA-accredited attorneys and claims agents may (and almost always do) charge for their services.
Exposure to burn pits and other specific environmental hazards
The VA’s webpage “Exposure to Burn Pits and Other Specific Environmental Hazards” at https://bit.ly/4qAu30N states that VA disability compensation provides tax-free monthly payments. If a veteran has a health condition caused by exposure to burn pits or other specific hazards in the air, soil, or water during their service, they may be eligible for:
- Service-connected disability compensation. Compensation can exceed $4,500.00 per month, tax-free, for a service-connection rating of 100%, depending on the number of eligible dependents.
- VA healthcare and other VA benefits and services.
The VA considers these nose (*nasopharyngeal) cancers presumptive:
- Keratinizing undifferentiated carcinoma.
- Non-keratinizing undifferentiated carcinoma.
- Squamous cell carcinoma.
Note: The Cleveland Clinic says that this is a rare type of head and neck cancer that originates in the nasopharynx, the area behind the nose and above the back of the throat.
Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive nose cancers.
The VA considers these Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity cancers presumptive:
- Adenocarcinoma, Adenoid cystic cancer, Lymphoma.
- Neuroendocrine carcinoma, Olfactory neuroblastoma, Plasmacytoma.
- Squamous cell carcinoma.
The VA considers these skin cancers of the nose presumptive:
- Melanoma and Squamous cell carcinoma.
The VA considers these sarcomas (a broad group of cancers that start in the bones and soft tissues) presumptive:
- Fibrosarcoma, Leiomyosarcoma, Rhabdomyosarcoma, and Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma.
SARCOMAS
The VA considers these sarcomas presumptive if malignancy is in the head or neck areas:
- Fibromatosis, Liposarcoma, Malignant ganglioma, mesenchymoma, and schwannoma, and Osteosarcoma.
The VA also considers these rare sarcomas presumptive if malignancy is in the head or neck areas:
- Dermatofibrosarcoma, Ectomesenchymoma, Ewing sarcoma (endocrine).
- Fibrosarcoma, Leiomyosarcoma, Low-grade fibro myxoid sarcoma, and Rhabdomyosarcoma.
The VA also considers these sarcomas in the blood vessels presumptive:
- Angiosarcoma, Hemangioendothelioma and hemangiopericytoma, Solitary fibrous tumor, and Vascular sarcoma.
Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive sarcomas.
SPINAL CORD CANCERS
The VA considers these spinal cord cancers that affect the cervical spine presumptive:
- Lymphoma, Malignant schwannoma, Multiple myeloma, Osteosarcoma, and
Solitary plasmacytoma.
The VA also considers these rare spinal cord cancers that affect the cervical spine presumptive:
- Chondrosarcoma, Chordoma, Ewing’s sarcoma, and Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor.
Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive spinal cord cancers.
GASTROINTESTINAL CANCERS
The VA considers these gastrointestinal cancers presumptive:
- Anal cancer (including adenocarcinoma, basal cell cancer, carcinoma in situ or “Bowen’s disease,” melanoma, and squamous cell cancer).
- Colorectal cancer or colon cancer (including adenocarcinoma, carcinoid, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, and lymphoma).
- Esophageal cancer (including adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma).
- Liver cancer (including hepatocellular carcinoma of the liver and intrahepatic tract).
- Pancreatic cancer (including adenocarcinoma of the pancreas).
The VA also considers these gastrointestinal cancers presumptive:
- Salivary gland cancers (including acinic cell carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified or “NOS,” mucoepidermoid carcinoma, polymorphous adenocarcinoma, and secretory carcinoma).
- Small intestine cancers (including adenocarcinoma, carcinoid tumor, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, lymphoma, and sarcoma).
- Spleen cancers (including primary tumors of the spleen).
- Stomach cancers (including carcinoid tumors, diffuse adenocarcinoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, intestinal carcinoma, and lymphoma).
- Tongue cancer (including adenoid cystic carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and polymorphous low-grade carcinoma).
Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive gastrointestinal cancers.
GENITOURINARY CANCERS
According to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (See https://bit.ly/3N03vrD), Genitourinary cancer affects the genitourinary system. These are body parts related to reproduction and to the urinary system, which make and get rid of urine (pee). Genitourinary (GU) cancer forms in the urinary system of both men and women. GU cancer in men also forms in the reproductive organs.
The VA considers these genitourinary cancers presumptive:
- Renal cell carcinoma (including chromophobe, clear cell, clear cell papillary, collecting duct, medullary, papillary, and unclassified types)
- Non-renal cell carcinoma (including renal sarcoma and Wilms tumor)
- Urinary bladder cancer (including overlapping sites of the bladder)
- Ureter cancer (including the uretic orifice, urachus)
Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive genitourinary cancers.
HEMATOLOGIC and LYMPHATIC CANCERS
The VA considers these hematologic cancers (Affect blood cells, lymphocytes, and bone marrow) and lymphatic cancers (originate in the lymphatic system) presumptive:
- Acute leukemias, Chronic leukemias, Multiple myelomas, including monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and Myelofibrosis.
Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive hematologic and lymphatic cancers.
LYMPHOMAS
The VA considers these cancers presumptive:
- B-cell lymphoma (including diffuse B-cell lymphoma, follicular B-cell lymphoma, other non-Hodgkin mature B-cell lymphoma, and small cell B-cell lymphoma), and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The VA also considers these rare cancers presumptive:
- Anaplastic large cell lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, Lymphoblastic lymphoma,
Mantle-cell lymphoma, Mycosis fungoides, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and T-cell lymphoma.
Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive lymphomas.
MELANOMA
The VA considers these melanomas presumptive:
- Melanomas of the eye (including choroidal melanoma, conjunctival melanoma, and iris melanoma).
- Melanomas of the skin (including acral lentiginous melanoma, lentigo maligna melanoma, nodular melanoma, and superficial spreading melanoma).
- Mucosal melanoma (melanomas that originate in tissues that line internal areas of the body).
Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive melanomas.
Continued next week.
Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a former Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at the RHJ VA and Durham VA Medical Centers, a Fisher House Charleston Goodwill Ambassador, and the VP for Veteran Affairs for his local AUSA Chapter and VFW Post 7383. Larry is also the author of the award-winning Blades of Thunder (Book One) and a contributing freelance writer with the Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164.
