I have a queston. Esophageal cancer is now listed under "inadequate or insufficient" evidence of an association to agent orange. After corresponding with a congressional aide, I was told that "inadequate or insufficient" meets the statutory threshold for presumptive status. He said that the way the law works, if the IOM cannot determine that there is NOT a connection between a disease and agent orange than it can be considered associated. That the law gives the benefit of the doubt to veterans. He also stated that the final decision on a presumptive disease is not left up to the IOM, it's a choice by the VA.
After corresponding with a congressional aide, I was told that "inadequate or insufficient" meets the statutory threshold for presumptive status
It has to be on the presumptive list to be such. You will have to prove that it was related to your service. It is a much higher standard. Esophageal cancer is not listed in the report.
Here is the order from the VA:
The four categories are (1) sufficient evidence of an association, (2) limited/suggestive evidence of an association, (3) inadequate/insufficient evidence to determine whether an association exists, and (4) limited/suggestive evidence of no association.
So this is the lowest possible link of a disease.
Most conditions evaluated in IOM’s 2002 report (as well as in the earlier publications) were listed in their third category. The IOM placed health outcomes to this category when available studies are of insufficient quality, consistency, or power to permit a conclusion regarding the presence or absence of an association. Health outcomes for which there are no available studies would also fall into this category.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dave_M,
Are you meaning that esophageal cancer is not listed on the presumpitive list or not listed in the latest IOM report? The 2006 report, released in 2007 listed esophageal cancer separately(from gastrointestional cancers) for the first time and changed the status from no association to inadequate or insufficient evidence of an association.
It is not on the presumptive list and as you state they find no evidence of a relationship to AO exposure. If you read the full report, the number of vets with AO exposure developing cancers of the digestive system is not statistically different than the general population and therefore, there reach the conclusion that there is not a presumptive link.
