On April 25, 2022, Veterans Affairs announced that nine rare respiratory cancers are now presumed service-connected disabilities due to military environmental exposures to fine particulate matter. These cancers include:
- Squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx
- Squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea
- Adenocarcinoma of the trachea
- Salivary gland-type tumors of the trachea
- Adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung
- Large cell carcinoma of the lung
- Salivary gland-type tumors of the lung
- Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung
- Typical and atypical carcinoid of the lung
VA will process disability compensation claims for these conditions for Veterans who served any amount of time in the Southwest Asia theater of operations beginning Aug. 2, 1990, to the present, or Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Syria or Djibouti beginning Sept. 19, 2001, to the present.
Starting March 5, 2024, we’re expanding VA health care to millions more Veterans—years earlier than called for by the PACT Act. All Veterans who were exposed to toxins and other hazards while serving our country—at home or abroad—will be eligible to enroll directly in VA health care without first applying for VA benefits.
