38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.71a

Muscle, neoplasm of, malignant — VA Diagnostic Code 5327

Musculoskeletal

Diagnostic code

5327

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38 CFR § 4.73 lists Diagnostic Code 5327 under Miscellaneous as “Muscle, neoplasm of, malignant (excluding soft tissue sarcoma)—100.” The rating cell on that row is empty. The 100 is in the name cell, after an em dash. There is no period after 100. The words “soft tissue” in the parenthetical have no hyphen. A note follows. Appendix B indexes “Muscle, neoplasm of, malignant.” It adds a period and does not print the parenthetical or the 100.

Reviewed 2026-10-05. Text checked against the eCFR versioner full-text XML for 2026-10-01 on 2026-10-05. Title 38 was up to date as of 2026-10-01 and last amended on 2026-08-27. The § 4.73 source note prints 62 FR 30239, June 3, 1997, as amemded 85 FR 76464, Nov. 30, 2020. The word “amemded” is the spelling in that source note. The § 4.56 source note prints 62 FR 30238, June 3, 1997. The § 4.56 authority line prints “(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 1155” and does not print the closing parenthesis. The § 4.55 source note prints 62 FR 30237, June 3, 1997.

The rating criteria at each level

5327 Muscle, neoplasm of, malignant (excluding soft tissue sarcoma)

Rating %: 100

Criteria (verbatim). Muscle, neoplasm of, malignant (excluding soft tissue sarcoma)

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
100	Muscle, neoplasm of, malignant (excluding soft tissue sarcoma)

The name cell prints an em dash and 100. The rating cell is empty. This page shows 100 as the percentage that cell contains.

Note: A rating of 100 percent shall continue beyond the cessation of any surgery, radiation treatment, antineoplastic chemotherapy or other therapeutic procedures. Six months after discontinuance of such treatment, the appropriate disability rating shall be determined by mandatory VA examination. Any change in evaluation based upon that or any subsequent examination shall be subject to the provisions of § 3.105(e) of this chapter. If there has been no local recurrence or metastasis, rate on residual impairment of function.

The note is in a centered cell. It says “surgery, radiation treatment,” “therapeutic procedures,” “Six months,” “metastasis,” and “residual impairment of function.”

DC 5327 is not in diagnostic codes 5301 through 5323. Note (2) of § 4.73, which points those codes to § 4.56, does not assign slight, moderate, moderately severe, or severe to DC 5327.

DC 5329 is “Sarcoma, soft tissue (of muscle, fat, or fibrous connective tissue)—100,” with the same note words. The DC 5327 parenthetical excludes soft tissue sarcoma. DC 5328 is “Muscle, neoplasm of, benign, postoperative. Rate on impairment of function, i.e., limitation of motion, or scars, diagnostic code 7805, etc”. That row does not print 100, and it does not end with a period after “etc”.

Note (2) at the opening of § 4.73 covers diagnostic codes 5301 through 5323. DC 5327 is outside that span. 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher rating when the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating. Otherwise, the lower rating will be assigned. 38 CFR § 4.6 requires each element affecting the evidence to be studied so that decisions will be equitable and just. 38 CFR § 4.31 says that in every instance where the schedule does not provide a zero percent evaluation for a diagnostic code, a zero percent evaluation shall be assigned when the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met. DC 5327 does not print a 0 percent line. The change-in-evaluation sentence in the note cites § 3.105(e). Note (1) of § 4.73 names diagnostic code 5317 for the § 3.350 question. It does not name DC 5327. This page does not state a payment amount.

38 CFR § 3.309(e) lists “Soft-tissue sarcoma (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, or mesothelioma).” That phrase uses a hyphen in “Soft-tissue.” The DC 5327 parenthetical does not. Note 1 of § 3.309(e) says the term includes a list that begins with adult fibrosarcoma. That row has no diagnostic code. It does not assign DC 5327 or DC 5329. 38 CFR § 4.14 says the evaluation of the same disability under various diagnoses is to be avoided, and that the evaluation of the same manifestation under different diagnoses is to be avoided.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.73, Diagnostic Code 5327, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

The 100 is in the name

The row reads “Muscle, neoplasm of, malignant (excluding soft tissue sarcoma)—100.” The rating cell beside it is empty. There is no period after 100.

Soft tissue sarcoma is excluded here

The parenthetical says “excluding soft tissue sarcoma,” with no hyphen. DC 5329 is the soft-tissue sarcoma row in this section, and its parenthetical is “of muscle, fat, or fibrous connective tissue.”

Six months, then residuals of function

The note continues the 100 percent rating beyond cessation of surgery, radiation treatment, antineoplastic chemotherapy or other therapeutic procedures. Six months after discontinuance, a mandatory VA examination determines the rating. If there has been no local recurrence or metastasis, rate on residual impairment of function.

Evidence that speaks to each level

100, continued through the note’s six months

What the rater needs to see. A malignant neoplasm of muscle, excluding soft tissue sarcoma, and the date treatment of the kinds the note names was discontinued, when that six-month period is the one being counted.

Where that usually lives. The diagnosis and the treatment record that shows surgery, radiation, antineoplastic chemotherapy, or another therapeutic procedure, and when it stopped.

After the mandatory examination

What the rater needs to see. Whether there has been local recurrence or metastasis. If there has not, the note says to rate on residual impairment of function.

Where that usually lives. The mandatory VA examination the note requires, and any later examination. A change based on that examination is subject to § 3.105(e).

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
100, continued through the note’s six months	A malignant neoplasm of muscle, excluding soft tissue sarcoma, and the date treatment of the kinds the note names was discontinued, when that six-month period is the one being counted.	The diagnosis and the treatment record that shows surgery, radiation, antineoplastic chemotherapy, or another therapeutic procedure, and when it stopped.
After the mandatory examination	Whether there has been local recurrence or metastasis. If there has not, the note says to rate on residual impairment of function.	The mandatory VA examination the note requires, and any later examination. A change based on that examination is subject to § 3.105(e).

VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Muscle Injuries” under Musculoskeletal. The file is Muscle Injuries.

The exam form

DC 5327 prints 100 in the name cell and the six-month note. This page does not say the form replaces that note.

Related codes and how they interact

Soft tissue sarcoma is the neighboring code.

DC 5329 uses the same em-dash 100 and the same note words, and it is limited to sarcoma of muscle, fat, or fibrous connective tissue. DC 5327 excludes soft tissue sarcoma. DC 5328 is the benign postoperative row and does not print 100.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

Section 3.309(e) names soft-tissue sarcoma and does not assign DC 5327. The DC 5327 parenthetical excludes soft tissue sarcoma. This page does not add DC 5327 to that presumptive row.

A separate question, when a presumption does not decide it, is a medical question on the facts under 38 CFR § 3.310. Paragraph (a) covers disability proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury. Paragraph (b) covers increase in severity and requires a medical baseline.

Short answers

What is the VA rating for a malignant neoplasm of muscle under DC 5327?

Under 38 CFR § 4.73, Diagnostic Code 5327 prints 100 in the name cell for a malignant neoplasm of muscle, excluding soft tissue sarcoma. The note continues that rating past the named treatment and sets the next rating from a mandatory examination six months after discontinuance. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

Does this code use the muscle-disability words in § 4.56?

Note (2) of § 4.73 assigns slight, moderate, moderately severe, and severe to diagnostic codes 5301 through 5323. DC 5327 is not in that span. It does not print those four words.

FAQ

Where is the 100 on DC 5327?

It is in the name cell, after an em dash: “Muscle, neoplasm of, malignant (excluding soft tissue sarcoma)—100.” The rating cell is empty. There is no period after 100. Education only.

What does the note say happens after treatment stops?

The 100 percent rating continues beyond cessation of surgery, radiation treatment, antineoplastic chemotherapy or other therapeutic procedures. Six months after discontinuance, the rating is determined by a mandatory VA examination. If there has been no local recurrence or metastasis, rate on residual impairment of function. A change based on that examination is subject to § 3.105(e).

Is soft tissue sarcoma this code?

The DC 5327 parenthetical excludes it. DC 5329 is “Sarcoma, soft tissue (of muscle, fat, or fibrous connective tissue)—100.” Section 3.309(e) lists “Soft-tissue sarcoma” with a hyphen and does not assign either code.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 5327, the treatment-discontinuance date, and whether the examination found local recurrence or metastasis.
The free worksheet is a place to write the code, the findings, and the records you already have. It does not file a claim or protect a filing date. An accredited representative is at find a VSO.
Other musculoskeletal codes are on the musculoskeletal diagnostic-code index. The category page is musculoskeletal conditions.

Education only. Not legal or medical advice. My Claim Packet is not a VA-accredited representative and does not file claims. VA decides every claim on its own evidence.

Other codes in this body system

Nearby catalog entries in Musculoskeletal, ordered by diagnostic code number. All Musculoskeletal codes

Also: DC code lookup (tools) lists the same index in a compact layout.

Source: 38 CFR Part 4, Diagnostic Code 5327 • va.gov

⚠️ Important Disclaimer

This page provides general educational information based on public VA regulations and VA.gov resources. It is not legal or medical advice, and My Claim Packet is not a VA-accredited representative. Any worksheets or draft documents produced by the tools must be reviewed for accuracy and are not filed with VA for you. Ratings and service connection are decided case-by-case from the individual record. Consult a VA-accredited VSO, claims agent, attorney, or qualified clinician for help with your situation, and verify current rules using the linked official source.