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Presumptive cancers related to burn pit exposure

We’ve expanded the list of presumptive cancers for eligible Gulf War and post-9/11 Veterans. A presumptive condition means we assume (or “presume”) that your service caused your condition.

Read this page to review the most common types of cancers that we now consider presumptive for eligible Veterans. If you have one of these cancers and had exposure to burn pits or served in a qualifying location, you may be eligible. We encourage you to file a claim for disability compensation and apply for VA health care now.

Brain, head, neck, and nervous system cancers

We consider these types of cancers presumptive:

  • Brain and brain stem cancers (including glioblastoma and other brain cancers)
  • Head cancers of any type (including cancers of the scalp, face, mouth, aural areas, lips, and hard or soft palate)
  • Neck cancers of any type (including cancers of the neck, pharynx, and larynx)
  • Spinal cord cancers that affect the cervical spine (neck region)

Note: This isn’t a complete list of brain, head, neck, and nervous system cancers.

Examples of these presumptive cancers

Brain cancers

We consider these glioblastomas presumptive:

  • Primary glioblastoma
  • Secondary glioblastoma

We consider these astrocytomas presumptive:

  • Anaplastic astrocytoma
  • Brain stem glioma
  • Diffuse astrocytoma
  • Pilocytic astrocytoma
  • Pineal astrocytic tumors
  • Subependymal giant cell astrocytoma

We consider these other brain cancers presumptive:

  • Ependymomas (cellular, clear cell, papillary, RELA fusion-positive, and tanycytic)
  • Malignant pineal gland
  • Mixed gliomas (Oligoastrocytoma)
  • Oligodendrogliomas
  • Pituitary carcinoma

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive brain cancers.

Ear and eye cancers

We consider these ear cancers presumptive:

  • Ceruminous adenoma
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma

We consider these eye cancers presumptive:

  • Carcinoid tumors of the orbit and ocular adnexa
  • Eye and ocular adnexa cancers (ciliary body, eyelid, iris, optic disc, retina, vitreous, and orbit tumors)
  • Melanomas of the eye (choroidal melanoma, conjunctival melanoma, and iris melanoma)
  • Neuroendocrine tumors of the orbit

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive ear and eye cancers.

Mouth, neck, and throat cancers

We consider these mouth, neck, and throat cancers presumptive:

  • Hypopharyngeal cancer (including adenoid cystic carcinoma, lymphoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma)
  • Jaw cancer (including ameloblastic carcinoma, clear cell odontogenic carcinoma, ghost cell odontogenic carcinoma, multiple myeloma, odontogenic carcinosarcoma, odontogenic sarcoma, osteosarcoma, primary intraosseous carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma)
  • Laryngeal cancer (including adenocarcinoma, chondrosarcoma, lymphoma, plasmacytoma, sarcoma, and squamous cell carcinoma)
  • Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma
  • Oropharyngeal cancer (including lymphoepithelioma, lymphoma, minor salivary gland tumors, salivary gland cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, and tonsillar cancer)

We also consider these cancers presumptive:

  • Pharyngeal cancer (including basaloid squamous cell carcinoma, keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, and non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma)
  • Salivary gland cancer (including acinic cell carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified or “NOS,” mucoepidermoid carcinoma, polymorphous adenocarcinoma, and secretory carcinoma)
  • Thyroid cancer (including anaplastic, follicular, medullary, and papillary)
  • Tongue cancer (including adenoid cystic carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and polymorphous low-grade carcinoma)

We also consider these skin cancers of the mouth and neck presumptive:

  • Basal cell carcinoma of the skin
  • Melanoma
  • Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive mouth and neck cancers.

Nose cancers

We consider these nasopharyngeal cancers presumptive:

  • Keratinizing undifferentiated carcinoma
  • Non-keratinizing undifferentiated carcinoma
  • Squamous cell carcinoma

We consider these paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancers presumptive:

  • Adenocarcinoma
  • Adenoid cystic cancer
  • Lymphoma
  • Neuroendocrine carcinoma
  • Olfactory neuroblastoma
  • Plasmacytoma
  • Squamous cell carcinoma

We consider these skin cancers of the nose presumptive:

  • Melanoma
  • Squamous cell carcinoma

We consider these sarcomas presumptive:

  • Fibrosarcoma
  • Leiomyosarcoma
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma
  • Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive nose cancers.

Sarcomas

We consider these sarcomas presumptive if malignancy is in the head or neck areas:

  • Fibromatosis
  • Liposarcoma
  • Malignant ganglioma, mesenchymoma, and schwannoma
  • Osteosarcoma

We also consider these rare sarcomas presumptive if malignancy is in the head or neck areas:

  • Dermatofibrosarcoma
  • Ectomesenchymoma
  • Ewing sarcoma (endocrine)
  • Fibrosarcoma
  • Leiomyosarcoma
  • Low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma

We also consider these sarcomas in the blood vessels presumptive:

  • Angiosarcoma
  • Hemangioendothelioma and hemangiopericytoma
  • Solitary fibrous tumor
  • Vascular sarcoma

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive sarcomas.

Spinal cord cancers

We consider these spinal cord cancers that affect the cervical spine presumptive:

  • Lymphoma
  • Malignant schwannoma
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Osteosarcoma
  • Solitary plasmacytoma

We also consider these rare spinal cord cancers that affect the cervical spine presumptive:

  • Chondrosarcoma
  • Chordoma
  • Ewing’s sarcoma
  • Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive spinal cord cancers.

Gastrointestinal cancers

We consider 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)

We also consider 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.

Kidney cancers

We consider these kidney 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)

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive kidney cancers.

Lymphomas

We consider 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)
  • Hodgkin’s lymphoma

We also consider these rare cancers presumptive:

  • Anaplastic large cell lymphoma
  • Burkitt lymphoma
  • Lymphoblastic lymphoma
  • Mantle-cell lymphoma
  • Mycosis fungoides
  • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  • T-cell lymphoma

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive lymphomas.

Melanoma

We consider 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.

Pancreatic cancers

We consider these pancreatic cancers presumptive:

  • Exocrine pancreatic cancers (including adenocarcinoma, adenosquamous carcinoma, colloid carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma)
  • Neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive pancreatic cancers.

Reproductive cancers

Female reproductive cancers

We consider these female reproductive cancers presumptive:

  • Breast cancer
  • Cancer of the paraurethral glands
  • Cervical cancer
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Urethral cancer
  • Uterine cancer
  • Vaginal cancer
  • Vulvar cancer

Male reproductive cancers

We consider these male reproductive cancers presumptive:

  • Breast cancer
  • Penile cancer
  • Prostate cancer
  • Testicular cancer
  • Urethral cancer

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive reproductive cancers

Respiratory cancers

Respiratory cancers are any cancers found from the area of the nose to the space between the between the lungs and beneath the chest wall (called the pleural space). These cancers include cancers of the bronchus, larynx, lung, pharynx, and trachea.

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive respiratory cancers.

Examples of presumptive respiratory cancers

Bronchial cancers

We consider these bronchial cancers presumptive:

  • Adenocarcinoma
  • Large-cell carcinoma
  • Squamous cell carcinoma

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive bronchial cancers.

Laryngeal cancers

We consider these laryngeal cancers presumptive:

  • Adenocarcinoma
  • Chondrosarcoma
  • Glottis, laryngeal neuroendocrine, subglottis, or supraglottis neoplasm
  • Lymphoma
  • Plasmacytoma
  • Sarcoma
  • Squamous cell carcinoma

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive laryngeal cancers.

Lung cancers

Non-small cell lung cancers

We consider these non-small cell lung cancers presumptive:

  • Adenocarcinoma
  • Carcinoid tumor
  • Large cell carcinoma
  • Pleomorphic carcinoma
  • Salivary gland carcinoma
  • Squamous cell carcinoma (epidermoid carcinoma)
  • Unclassified carcinoma

Small cell lung cancers

We consider these small cell lung cancers presumptive:

  • Combined small cell carcinoma
  • Small cell carcinoma (oat cell cancer)

Other lung cancers

We consider these other lung cancers presumptive:

  • Adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung
  • Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung
  • Sarcomoid carcinoma of the lung
  • Typical and atypical carcinoid of the lung

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive lung cancers.

Nasopharyngeal cancer

We consider these nasopharyngeal cancers presumptive:

  • Keratinizing undifferentiated carcinoma
  • Non-keratinizing undifferentiated carcinoma
  • Squamous cell carcinoma

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive nasopharyngeal cancers.

Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer

We consider these paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancers presumptive:

  • Lymphoma
  • Melanoma
  • Neuroendocrine carcinoma
  • Plasmacytoma
  • Squamous cell carcinoma

We also consider these rare paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancers presumptive:

  • Adenocarcinoma
  • Adenoid cystic cancer
  • Fibrosarcoma undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma
  • Leiomyosarcoma
  • Olfactory neuroblastoma
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancers.

Pharyngeal cancers

We consider these pharyngeal cancers presumptive:

  • Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma
  • Keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma
  • Non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive pharyngeal cancers.

Throat (oropharyngeal) cancers

We consider these throat cancers presumptive:

  • Lymphoepithelioma
  • Lymphoma
  • Minor salivary gland tumors
  • Salivary gland cancer
  • Squamous cell carcinoma
  • Tonsillar cancer

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive throat cancers.

Trachea cancers

We consider these trachea cancers presumptive:

  • Adenocarcinoma of the trachea
  • Squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea

Note: This isn’t a complete list of presumptive trachea cancers.

What to do next if you have one of these presumptive cancers

Find out if you meet the service requirements for presumptive exposure. If you do, we encourage you to file a claim for disability compensation and apply for VA health care now.

If you know you meet the service requirements

You can file a claim for disability compensation now.

Find out how to file a disability claim

If youre not sure whether you meet the service requirements

You can check those requirements first. Or you can file and we’ll determine if you meet the requirements.

Find out if you have a presumptive exposure to burn pits

VA benefits

  • Disability

    File a claim for disability compensation for conditions related to your military service, and manage your benefits over time.

  • Health care

    Apply for VA health care, find out how to access services, and manage your health and benefits online.

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