The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes a number of diseases as being presumptively caused by exposure to Agent Orange. This means that any veteran who was exposed to Agent Orange and who now suffers from any disease listed below may be able to have that disease rated by the VA as service-connected. Once rated, the VA will provide all treatment for that disease or condition and may provide monetary compensation and other benefits. Complete details regarding VA benefits can be found at http://www.va.gov and information on Agent Orange is available at http://www1.va.gov/agentorange and literally hundreds of other websites.
NOTE: “A veteran who, during active military, naval, or air service, served in the Republic of Vietnam during the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975, shall be presumed to have been exposed during such service to an herbicide agent…” Code of Federal Regulation, Chapter 38, article 3.307(a)(6)(iii) refers.

“Presumptive Diseases”:

Chloracne or other acneform disease consistent with chloracne
Type 2 diabetes (also known as Type II diabetes mellitus or adult-onset diabetes)
Hodgkin's disease
Multiple myeloma
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy
Porphyria cutanea tarda
Prostate cancer
Respiratory cancers (cancer of the lung, bronchus, larynx, or trachea)
Soft-tissue sarcoma (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, or mesothelioma)
NOTE 1: The term "soft-tissue sarcoma" includes the following:
Adult fibrosarcoma
Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
Malignant fibrous histiocytoma
Liposarcoma
Leiomyosarcoma
Epithelioid leiomyosarcoma (malignant leiomyoblastoma)
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Ectomesenchymoma
Angiosarcoma (hemangiosarcoma and lymphangiosarcoma)
Proliferating (systemic) angioendotheliomatosis
Malignant glomus tumor
Malignant hemangiopericytoma
Synovial sarcoma (malignant synovioma)
Malignant giant cell tumor of tendon sheath
Malignant schwannoma, including malignant schwannoma with rhabdomyoblastic differentiation (malignant Triton tumor), glandular and epithelioid malignant schwannomas
Malignant mesenchymoma
Malignant granular cell tumor
Alveolar soft part sarcoma
Epithelioid sarcoma
Clear cell sarcoma of tendons and aponeuroses
Extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma
Congenital and infantile fibrosarcoma
Malignant ganglioneuroma

NOTE 2: For purposes of this section, the term acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy means transient peripheral neuropathy that appears within weeks or months of exposure to an herbicide agent and resolves within two years of the date of onset.

From the desk of Patrick J Jolly
Sonoma County Veterans Service Officer