Camp Lejeuen Justice Act of 2022 | VA Disability Group

What is the PACT Act?

PACT Act Accomplishes:

Expands locations for radiation.
Expands presumptive conditions for herbicide exposure.
Expands locations for herbicide exposure.
Establishes presumptive conditions for toxic exposures.
Provides avenue for reevaluation of denied DIC claims that may result in retroactive effective dates.

Covered Veteran/Gulf War

Covered Veteran: Veteran who was AD (military, naval, air or space service) assigned to any of the following:

- On/after Aug. 2, 1990
  - Bahrain
  - Iraq
  - Kuwait
  - Oman
  - Qatar
  - Saudi Arabia
  - Somalia
  - United Arab Emirates
- On/after Sept. 11, 2001
  - Afghanistan
  - Djibouti
  - Egypt
  - Jordan
  - Lebanon
  - Syria
  - Yemen
  - Uzbekistan
  - Any other country determined relevant by the Secretary of the VA

Gulf War Presumptive Conditions – Burn Pits and Other Toxins:

- - Asthma
  - Chronic bronchitis
  - Constrictive bronchiolitis, obliterative bronchiolitis
  - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  - Emphysema
  - Granulomatous disease
  - Interstitial lung disease
  - Pleuritis
  - Pulmonary fibrosis
  - Sarcoidosis
  - Chronic rhinitis
  - Chronic sinusitis
  - Head cancers
  - Neck cancers
  - Respiratory cancers
  - Gastrointestinal cancers
  - Reproductive cancers
  - lymphoma/lymphoma cancers
  - Kidney cancer
  - Brain cancer
  - Melanoma
  - Pancreatic cancer
  - Glioblastoma

Presumptive Cancers

If you have a cancer claim that involve presumptive conditions due to burn pits and other toxins under the PACT Act you should note that:

- - Only malignant tumors qualify for presumptive service connection for the established cancers.
  - Benign neoplasm or any other non-malignant disease processes do not qualify under these presumptive diseases.
  - Skin cancers and other melanoma only qualify for presumptive service connection if the location of the malignancy is the head or neck.
  - All melanomas qualify for presumptive service connection regardless of location.
  - Sarcomas may only be considered for presumptive service connection if located in the head or neck areas or located within a presumptive body system.
  - Only primary cancer may be considered a presumptive disease. Metastatic or secondary cancers would not warrant service connection on a presumptive basis.

Defining Different Types of Cancer

How Does the VA Define Head Cancer?

Malignancies found in the locations of the scalp, face, mouth, aural areas, lips, and hard or soft palate.

Below are some examples of head cancers:

Malignant ear tumors
Malignant tumors of the eye and adnexa
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, secretory carcinoma.
Sarcoma – osteosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, dermatofibrosarcoma, low grade fibromyxoid sarcoma, fibromatosis, liposarcoma, 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

How Does the VA Define Neck Cancer?

Neck cancers include malignancies found in the locations of the neck, pharynx and larynx.
Below are some examples of neck cancers:

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
Tongue cancer – adenoid cystic carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, polymorphous low-grade carcinoma
Oropharyngeal cancer – tonsillar 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
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

How does the VA define Respiratory Cancer?

Respiratory cancers consist of any malignancies located in the nose to the pleural space.
Some examples of respiratory cancer are:

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

How Does the VA Define Gastrointestinal Cancer?

Gastrointestinal cancers include any malignancy found in the gastrointestinal system from the tongue to the anus.
Below are some examples of gastrointestinal cancer:

Stomach cancer – intestinal carcinoma, diffuse adenocarcinoma, lymphoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, carcinoid tumors
Esophageal cancer – squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma
Small intestine cancer – adenocarcinoma, sarcoma, carcinoid tumor, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, lymphoma
Colorectal cancer – adenocarcinoma, carcinoid, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, lymphoma
Anal cancer – carcinoma in situ (Bowen’s disease), squamous cell cancer, adenocarcinoma, basal cell cancer, melanoma
Pancreatic cancer – adenocarcinoma of the pancreas
Liver cancer – hepatocellular carcinoma of the liver and intrahepatic tract
Tongue cancer – adenoid cystic carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, polymorphous low grade carcinoma
Salivary gland cancer – mucoepidermoid carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, acinic cell carcinoma, polymorphous adenocarcinoma, adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified, secretory carcinoma
Cancers of the spleen

What does the VA Consider to be Reproductive Cancer?

Below are some examples of reproductive cancers that the VA has given:

Female reproductive cancer – cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, vaginal cancer, vulvar cancer, breast cancer
Male reproductive cancer – testicular cancer, penile cancer, prostate cancer

What does the VA Consider to be a Lymphoma or a Lymphomatic Cancer?

Lymphoma cancers of any type are medically unrecognized as a discrete category, the VA determined they fall under the lymphoma diagnosis.
Below are some examples of lymphomas and lymphomatic cancers:

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

What Does the VA Consider to be Kidney Cancer?

Below are some examples of kidney cancer:

Renal cell carcinoma – clear cell, papillary, chromophobe, clear cell papillary, collecting duct, medullary, unclassified
Non-renal cell carcinoma – Wilms tumor, renal sarcoma

What Does the VA Consider to be Brain Cancer?

Below are some examples of brain cancer:

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

What Does the VA Consider to be a Melanoma Diagnosis?

Below are some examples of melanoma:

Skin – superficial spreading melanoma, nodular melanoma, lentigo malignant melanoma, acral lentiginous melanoma
Eye – choroidal melanoma, conjunctival melanoma, iris melanoma
Mucosal melanoma (originate in tissues that line internal areas of the body)

What Does the VA Consider to be Pancreatic Cancer?

Below are some examples of pancreatic cancer:

Exocrine – adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, adenosquamous carcinoma, colloid carcinoma
Neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer

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Gulf War Exposure and Presumptive Conditions (PACT Act)

What is the PACT Act?

Covered Veteran/Gulf War

Gulf War Presumptive Conditions – Burn Pits and Other Toxins:

Presumptive Cancers

Defining Different Types of Cancer

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