What is a Presumptive Service Connection? 

VA presumes that certain disabilities were caused by military service. This is because of the unique circumstances of a specific Veteran’s military service. If a presumed condition is diagnosed in a Veteran within a certain group, they can be awarded disability compensation. 

MORE EXTENSIVE LISTINGS FOR CLAIRIFICATION:

Head Cancer Diagnoses - Head cancers include malignancies found in the locations of the scalp, face, mouth, aural areas, lips and hard or soft palate. The below list is not all- inclusive. Examples of head cancers are as follows:

• Malignant ear tumors - ceruminous adenoma, rhabdomyosarcoma

• Malignant tumors of the eye and adnexa-iris, ciliary body, vitreous, retina, optic disc, eyelid, and orbit tumors

• Neuroendocrine tumors of the orbit

• Carcinoid tumors of the orbit and ocular adnexa

• Pituitary carcinoma

• Melanoma

• Basal cell carcinoma of the skin

• Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin

• Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma

• Pharyngeal cancer - keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, basaloid squamous cell carcinoma

• Jaw cancer - squamous cell carcinoma, osteosarcoma, ameloblastic carcinoma, primary intraosseous carcinoma, clear cell odontogenic carcinoma, ghost cell odontogenic carcinoma, odontogenic carcinosarcoma, odontogenic sarcoma, multiple myeloma

• Tongue cancer - adenoid cystic carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, polymorphous low-grade carcinoma

• Oropharyngeal cancer - squamous cell carcinoma, salivary gland cancer, lymphoma, minor salivary gland tumors, lymphoepithelioma

• Nasopharyngeal cancer - squamous cell carcinoma, keratinizing undifferentiated carcinoma, non-keratinizing undifferentiated carcinoma

• Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer - squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, adenoid cystic cancer, lymphoma, plasmacytoma, melanoma, olfactory neuroblastoma, neuroendocrine carcinoma, fibrosarcoma, undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma 

• Salivary gland cancer - mucoepidermoid carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, acinic cell carcinoma, polymorphous adenocarcinoma, adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified (NOS), secretory carcinoma

• Sarcoma - osteosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, dermatofibrosarcoma, low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma, fibromatosis, liposarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, ectomesenchymoma, malignant schwannoma, malignant mesenchymoma, malignant ganglioma

• Sarcoma in blood vessels - angiosarcoma, hemangioendothelioma, hemangiopericytoma, solitary fibrous tumor, vascular sarcoma Ewing sarcoma (endocrine)

• Malignant Pineal Gland

Neck Cancer Diagnoses - Neck cancers include malignancies found in the locations of the neck, pharynx and larynx. The below list is not all-inclusive. Examples of neck cancers are as follows:

• Melanoma

• Basal cell carcinoma of the skin

• Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin

• Sarcoma - osteosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, dermatofibrosarcoma, low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma, fibromatosis, liposarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, ectomesenchymoma, malignant schwannoma, malignant mesenchymoma, malignant ganglioma 

• Sarcoma in blood vessels - angiosarcoma, hemangioendothelioma, hemangiopericytoma, solitary fibrous tumor, vascular sarcoma Ewing sarcoma (endocrine)

• Spinal cord malignant tumors - malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, malignant schwannoma, solitary plasmacytoma, osteosarcoma,

• chondrosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, chordoma, lymphoma, multiple myeloma

• Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma

• Pharyngeal cancer - keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, basaloid squamous cell carcinoma

• Tongue cancer - adenoid cystic carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, polymorphous low-grade carcinoma

• Oropharyngeal cancer - tonsillar cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, salivary gland cancer, lymphoma, minor salivary gland tumors, lymphoepithelioma 

• Hypopharyngeal cancer - squamous cell carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, lymphoma

• Laryngeal cancer - squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, lymphoma, plasmacytoma

• Thyroid cancer - anaplastic thyroid cancer, papillary, follicular, medullary

Respiratory cancers - Respiratory cancers consist of any malignancies located in the nose to the pleural space. The below list is not all-inclusive. Examples of respiratory cancers are as follows:

• Non-small lung cancer - squamous cell carcinoma (epidermoid carcinoma), large cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, pleomorphic carcinoma, carcinoid tumor, salivary gland carcinoma, unclassified carcinoma

• Small cell lung cancer - small cell carcinoma (oat cell cancer), combined small cell carcinoma

• Sarcomoid carcinoma of the lung

• Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung

• Adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung

• Typical and atypical carcinoid of the lung

• Squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea, adenocarcinoma of the trachea Laryngeal cancer - glottis neoplasm, laryngeal neuroendocrine neoplasm, subglottis neoplasm, supraglottis neoplasm

• Cancer of the bronchus - adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, large-cell carcinoma

• Pharyngeal cancer - keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, basaloid squamous cell carcinoma

• Oropharyngeal cancer - squamous cell carcinoma, salivary gland cancer, lymphoma, minor salivary gland tumors, lymphoepithelioma

• Nasopharyngeal cancer - squamous cell carcinoma, keratinizing undifferentiated carcinoma, non-keratinizing undifferentiated carcinoma

• Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer - squamous cell carcinoma,

• adenocarcinoma, adenoid cystic cancer, lymphoma, plasmacytoma, melanoma, olfactory neuroblastoma, neuroendocrine carcinoma, fibrosarcoma undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma 

• Laryngeal cancer - squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, lymphoma, plasmacytoma

Lymphoma and Lymphomatic cancers - Lymphomatic cancers of any type are medically unrecognized as a discrete category. VA determined they fall under the lymphoma diagnosis. The below list is not all-inclusive. Examples of lymphomas are as follows:

• Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

• Hodgkin's lymphoma

• Diffuse B-cell lymphoma, other non-Hodgkin mature B-cell lymphoma, follicular

• B-cell lymphoma, small cell B-cell lymphoma

• T-cell lymphoma

• Mantle-cell lymphoma

• Burkitt lymphoma

• Anaplastic large cell lymphoma

• Mycosis fungoides

• Lymphoblastic lymphoma

Kidney cancer diagnoses - The below list is not all-inclusive. Examples of kidney cancer are as follows:

• Renal cell carcinoma - clear cell, papillary, chromophobe, clear cell papillary, collecting duct, medullary, unclassified

• Non-renal cell carcinoma -Wilms tumor, renal sarcoma

Brain cancer diagnoses - The below list is not all-inclusive. Examples of brain cancers are as follows:

• Astrocytoma - glioblastoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, diffuse astrocytoma, pineal astrocytic tumors, brain stem glioma, pilocytic astrocytoma, subependymal giant cell astrocytoma

• Oligodendrogliomas

• Ependymomas - cellular, papillary, tanycytic, RELA fusion-positive, clear cell 

• Mixed gliomas (Oligoastrocytoma)

• Pituitary carcinoma

Melanoma diagnoses - The below list is not all-inclusive. Examples of melanoma diagnoses are as follows:

• Skin - superficial spreading melanoma, nodular melanoma, lentigo maligna melanoma, acral lentiginous melanoma

• Eye - choroidal melanoma, conjunctival melanoma, iris melanoma

• Mucosal melanoma (originate in tissues that line internal areas of the body)

Pancreatic cancer diagnoses - The below list is not all-inclusive. Examples of pancreatic cancers are as follows:

• Exocrine adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, adenosquamous carcinoma, colloid carcinoma

• Neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer

Glioblastoma

• Primary and secondary glioblastoma

Granulomatous Diseases

• Any granulomatous disease within the respiratory system to include bronchocentric granulomatosis, pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis, Erdheim-Chester disease, pulmonary necrotizing granuloma, and eosinophilic granuloma of the lung.