Director reviews claims based on atmospheric nuclear test participation only
if the following criteria are met: (1) The veteran was exposed to ionizing
radiation as a result of participation in atmospheric nuclear weapons testing
or the postwar occupation of Hiroshima or Nagasaki, Japan; (2) The veteran

subsequently developed one of the illnesses listed below, each of which might
be radiogenic; and (3) The illness became manifest during the specified time,
also identified below (12).
The VA accepts the following illnesses as possibly being radiogenic:
All forms of leukemia except chronic lymphatic leukemia
Thyroid cancer
Female breast cancer
Lung cancer
Bone cancer
Liver cancer

Skin cancer
Esophageal cancer
Stomach cancer
Colon cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Kidney cancer
Urinary bladder cancer
Salivary gland cancer
Multiple myeloma.
The rulings specify that the leukemia and bone cancer must become manifest
within 30 years after exposure and that the other forms of cancer must become
manifest within 5 years or more after exposure (12).
In reviewing a claim, the Chief Benefits Director considers such factors
as the probable dose, the relative sensitivity of the involved tissue to
induction of the specified condition by ionizing radiation, the veteran’s
gender and pertinent family history, the veteran’s age at time of exposure,
the time elapsed between exposure and onset of the disease, and possible contributions to the disease made by exposures to radiation or other carcinogens

yy

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