Lung Cancer and Military Toxic Exposure

The VA lists respiratory cancer of any type, which includes lung cancer, as a presumptive condition for veterans exposed to burn pits and other airborne hazards under the PACT Act. For these claims a veteran generally does not have to prove that service caused the cancer.

Eligibility is based on where and when you served. Qualifying service includes the post-9/11 era (on or after September 11, 2001) in locations such as Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Uzbekistan, and Yemen, and the Gulf War era (on or after August 2, 1990) in locations such as Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and the United Arab Emirates, including the airspace and certain waterways of these areas.

The VA recognizes respiratory cancers, defined as cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus, as presumptively associated with Agent Orange and other herbicide exposure. Veterans with these cancers do not have to prove a connection between the disease and their service to be eligible for VA health care and disability compensation.

Presumed exposure generally applies to veterans who served in Vietnam (including certain Blue Water Navy ships) between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, along the Korean demilitarized zone, and in other locations where herbicides were used or stored. The PACT Act expanded the list of qualifying herbicide-exposure locations, so veterans should check current VA guidance for their service history.

The VA includes lung cancer (including bronchiolo-alveolar cancer) among the diseases it presumes to be related to ionizing radiation exposure for veterans who took part in a qualifying radiation-risk activity.

Qualifying activities include participation in atmospheric nuclear weapons testing (1945 to 1962), the post-war occupation of Hiroshima or Nagasaki (August 1945 to July 1946), prisoner-of-war status near those cities, certain underground testing and cleanup missions (such as Enewetak Atoll, Palomares, and Thule), and qualifying service at gaseous diffusion plants. Veterans who participated in these activities do not need to prove causation for the listed cancers.

Asbestos has been associated with lung cancer, and many veterans encountered it in shipbuilding and ship maintenance, insulation work, construction, and demolition, often decades before symptoms appear. However, asbestos-related lung cancer is not automatically presumptive under VA rules.

To establish a claim, a veteran generally must show a current diagnosis, credible evidence of asbestos exposure during military service, and a link between the two. Documenting your occupational specialty, duty assignments, and service aboard older vessels can help support this type of claim.

Veterans, reservists, and guardsmen who served at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 cumulative days between August 1953 and December 1987 may have been exposed to contaminated drinking water containing industrial solvents such as TCE, PCE, benzene, and vinyl chloride.

It is important to note that the VA reviewed the scientific evidence and concluded it was insufficient to establish lung cancer as a presumptive disability condition for this exposure. Lung cancer is therefore not on the Camp Lejeune presumptive list, although affected veterans may still be eligible for VA health care related to the condition. Claims under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act had to be filed by August 10, 2024; only claims filed by that deadline are still being processed.