Toxic Exposure
Burn Pits & PACT Act Cancer Nexus Letters
Open-air burn pits were used to dispose of waste at military sites across Iraq, Afghanistan, and other deployed locations. The 2022 PACT Act expanded the cancers the VA presumes are connected to that exposure.
About Burn Pit & Airborne Hazard Exposure
The PACT Act (the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022) added more than 20 presumptive conditions for Gulf War era and post-9/11 veterans exposed to burn pits and other airborne hazards.
If you have a presumptive cancer and served in a qualifying location, you do not need to prove your service caused it. A specialty opinion is most valuable for complex cases, secondary conditions, or where a diagnosis or records need clearer medical interpretation.
Burn Pit Cancers the VA Now Considers Presumptive
- Respiratory (breathing-related) cancers of any type
- Brain cancer and glioblastoma
- Head and neck cancers of any type
- Gastrointestinal cancers of any type
- Pancreatic cancer
- Kidney and genitourinary cancers
- Reproductive cancers of any type
- Melanoma
- Lymphoma and lymphatic cancers of any type
- Leukemias
- Multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes
An Honest, Evidence-Based Opinion
Meeting a presumption still requires the right service and diagnosis details, and presumptive claims can be denied on other grounds. A clear medical opinion helps the evidence speak for itself. A nexus letter never guarantees approval; final decisions rest with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Talk Through Your Case With a Cancer Specialist
Start with a focused VA Case Strategy Consult to find out whether a specialty nexus opinion may be medically appropriate for your claim.