VA Initiates Study on PFAS Exposure and Kidney Cancer Among Veterans

The US Department of Veterans Affairs is conducting a scientific assessment to determine if there is a relationship between PFAS exposure during military service and kidney cancer among veterans. 

“This scientific assessment—a process codified under the PACT Act—will help [the] VA determine if kidney cancer should be considered a presumptive service-connected condition for veterans exposed to PFAS,” the VA stated in a press release. “When a condition is considered presumptive, eligible veterans do not need to prove that their service caused their disease in order to receive benefits for it; instead, if they served in certain locations during certain time periods, VA automatically assumes (or “presumes”) that exposure during military service caused the disease and provides benefits accordingly.”

The review is an important component of the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to expanding benefits for toxic-exposed veterans and their families, supporting the President's Unity Agenda and Biden Cancer Moonshot goals to address environmental exposures and combat cancer. VA's efforts under the PACT Act have expedited health care and benefits eligibility, including extending presumptions for various cancers like head, neck, gastrointestinal, reproductive, lymphoma, pancreatic, kidney, melanoma, and hypertension for Vietnam veterans, among others.

The VA's assessment methodology for PFAS, a class of over 12 000 chemicals used in the military since the early 1970s, will follow guidance from key stakeholders and considers peer-reviewed scientific literature, veteran claims data, and other relevant data. Regardless of condition eligibility for presumptive benefits, the VA will evaluate claims individually and may provide disability compensation if sufficient evidence of service connection is present, with a commitment to approve claims whenever possible.

The VA is prioritizing claims processing for veterans with cancer and offering comprehensive cancer care services nationwide, while President Biden's PACT Act has provided over $7 billion in disability compensation benefits to more than one million veterans and their survivors. The VA is seeking public feedback on a proposed scientific assessment linking PFAS exposure and kidney cancer through the Federal Register, with a 30-day comment period and a listening session on November 19, 2024, to allow individuals to share research and input. Participants can register to provide comments on other conditions for potential service-connection.

Reference
VA to review possible service connection between PFAS exposure and kidney cancer. News release. VA.gov. September 25, 2024. Accessed October 11, 2024. https://news.va.gov/press-room/va-to-review-possible-service-connection-between-pfas-exposure-and-kidney-cancer/