Military Service & Childhood Cancer: Army Policy & Exceptions

The United States Army's policy on prior cancers can be found in Article 15-30 of AR 40-501, Standards of Medical Fitness. This article states that individuals who have had a malignancy (cancer) are generally disqualified for military service. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule:

- Individuals who were diagnosed with cancer before the age of 18 and have been in remission for at least 5 years may be considered for military service. This applies to all cancers except for germ cell tumors, Hodgkin lymphoma, and leukemia.

- Individuals who were diagnosed with cancer on or after their 18th birthday are generally disqualified from military service. However, there may be a few exceptions to this rule if the individual is in remission and the cancer was low-grade or localized.

In all cases, individuals who are considering military service with a history of cancer must undergo a thorough medical evaluation by a military medical provider to determine if they meet the medical fitness standards for military service.