Brain, new growth of: malignant DC 8002
VA rates it under diagnostic code 8002 in 38 CFR 4.124a. Body system: Head & nerves.
How VA rates it
The schedule allows 8 rating levels for this code: 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100%. VA picks the level whose criteria best match your symptoms and records.
Source: 38 CFR 4.124a on eCFR. Read the full criteria there before you file.
Rating levels and criteria
| Rating | What the schedule says |
|---|---|
| 100% | Malignant |
| 30% | Minimum rating |
Criteria text from 38 CFR 4.124a, eCFR as of November 10, 2026. The eCFR is the official source if anything here differs.
Notes in the schedule (1)
Note: The rating in code 8002 will be continued for 2 years following cessation of surgical, chemotherapeutic or other treatment modality. At this point, if the residuals have stabilized, the rating will be made on neurological residuals according to symptomatology.
Presumptive rules that include it
If your service matches one of these, VA presumes the link to service and you do not need a medical opinion connecting it.
Burn pits and airborne hazards (PACT Act)
Covered: Brain cancer, including glioblastoma.
Who qualifies: Active duty on or after August 2, 1990 in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, the United Arab Emirates, the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, or the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia; or on or after September 11, 2001 in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Uzbekistan, or Yemen. The airspace above these places counts. Conditions can start any time after service.
38 CFR 3.320 and 38 U.S.C. 1119-1120. Sources: 38 CFR 3.320; VA.gov: Exposure to burn pits and other specific environmental hazards; VA.gov: Presumptive cancers related to burn pit exposure; VA.gov: The PACT Act and your VA benefits
Ionizing radiation (radiation-risk activities)
Covered: Brain cancer.
Who qualifies: On-site participation in an atmospheric or underwater nuclear test; occupation of Hiroshima or Nagasaki (August 6, 1945 to July 1, 1946); POW internment in Japan with comparable exposure; 250 days or more at the Paducah, Portsmouth, or Oak Ridge K-25 gaseous diffusion plants before February 1, 1992; Amchitka Island test duty before 1974; Enewetak Atoll cleanup (1977 to 1980); the Palomares, Spain response (January 17, 1966 to March 31, 1967); or the Thule, Greenland response (January 21 to September 25, 1968).
38 CFR 3.309(d). Sources: 38 CFR 3.309; 38 CFR 3.311 (other radiogenic diseases, decided case by case); VA.gov: Ionizing radiation exposure
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Rating schedule data as of November 10, 2026. Secondary and presumptive links checked November 13, 2026.
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