HERBICIDE EXPOSURE FROM JANUARY 1962 to MAY 1975

The U.S. military sprayed millions of gallons of Agent Orange and other herbicides on trees and vegetation during the Vietnam War.  The spraying of herbicides is also documented on United States military bases in Thailand and in the demilitarized zone of Korea.  Several decades later, concerns about the health effects from these chemicals continue. VA offers eligible Veterans a free Agent Orange Registry health exam for possible long-term health problems related to exposure and VA compensation for disabilities due to herbicide exposure.

Effective January 1, 2020, Veterans who served in the offshore waters of Vietnam and Cambodia became eligible for a presumption of herbicide exposure due to the passage of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 (PL 116-23).  The PACT Act expanded eligibility for benefits to those who served on any U.S. or Royal Thai base, in Laos, certain areas of Cambodia, Guam or American Samoa, or at Johnston Atoll or ship that called at Johnston Atoll. Other areas include the Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ) and some other specified storage locations and situations proscribed in VA regulations.  

Veterans' Diseases and Cancers Associated with Agent Orange

VA assumes that certain diseases can be related to a Veteran’s qualifying military service. These are called "presumptive diseases." The following lists contain some of the presumptive diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure.

• Al Amyloidsosis
  A rare disease caused when an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters tissues or organs
• Bladder cancer
• Chronic B-cell Luekemias
  A type of cancer which affects white blood cells
• Chloracne (or similar acneform disease)
  A skin condition that occurs soon after exposure to chemicals and looks like common forms of acne seen in teenagers. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
• Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
  A disease characterized by high blood sugar levels resulting from the body’s inability to respond properly to the hormone insulin
• Hodgkin's Disease
  A malignant lymphoma (cancer) characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, and by progressive anemia
• Hypertension
• Hypothyroidism
• Ischemic Heart Disease
  A disease characterized by a reduced supply of blood to the heart, that leads to chest pain
• Multiple Myeloma
  A cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell in bone marrow
• Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
  A group of cancers that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue
• Parkinson's Disease of Parkinson-like Symptoms
  A progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects muscle movement
• Peripheral Neuropathy, Acute and Sub-acute
  A nervous system condition that causes numbness, tingling, and motor weakness. Currently, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of herbicide exposure and resolve within two years. VA proposed on Aug. 10, 2012, to replace "acute and subacute" with "early-onset" and eliminate the requirement that symptoms resolve within two years.
• Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
  A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
• Prostate Cancer
  Cancer of the prostate; one of the most common cancers among men
• Respiratory Cancers (includes lung cancer) 
  Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus
• Soft Tissue Sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or mesothelioma)
  A group of different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues
• Children with Birth Defects: VA presumes certain birth defects in children of Vietnam and Korea Veterans associated with Veterans' qualifying military service.

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