VA presumes Veterans' prostate cancer is related to their exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service. Veterans exposed to herbicides do not have to prove a connection between their prostate cancer and military service to be eligible to receive VA benefits.
Learn more:
About Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate, a small gland in the male reproductive system.
Signs and Symptoms
- Prostate cancer is often first detected in routine screening, such as in a PSA (prostate-specific antigen test) or DRE (digital rectal exam).
- Symptoms may include urinary problems, such as trouble urinating or stopping and starting when urinating, though these problems more often result from noncancerous prostate.
- Blood in urine or semen and discomfort in the pelvic area also can develop.
Visit Medline Plus* to learn about treatment, the latest medical research, and more from the National Institutes of Health.
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Research on Prostate Cancer and Herbicides Used in Vietnam
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences concluded in its 1996 report "Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 1996"*† and in future updates that there is limited/suggestive evidence of a positive association between prostate cancer and exposure to herbicides used in Vietnam. This finding reversed an earlier conclusion from the IOM 1993 report on Veterans and Agent Orange that credible evidence existed to associate prostate cancer with herbicide exposure.
View more research on health effects of Agent Orange.
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VA Benefits for Prostate Cancer
Veterans with prostate cancer who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service may be eligible for disability compensation and health care benefits.
Veterans who served in Vietnam or another area where Agent Orange was sprayed may be eligible for an Agent Orange registry health exam, a free, comprehensive examination.
Surviving spouses, dependent children and dependent parents of Veterans who were exposed to herbicides during military service and died as the result of prostate cancer may be eligible for survivors' benefits.
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Contact VA about Benefits
By Telephone
- Toll-free Helpline: 1-800-749-8387 Press 3
- Agent Orange Registry Health Exam: Call your local VA Environmental Health Coordinator
- Health Care: 1-877-222-8387
- Compensation and Other Non-Health Care Benefits: 1-800-827-1000
- TDD (for hearing impaired): 1-800-829-4833
In Person
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*By clicking on these links, you will leave the Department of Veterans Affairs Web site.
†VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked Web site.
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