38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.71a

Sarcoma, soft tissue — VA Diagnostic Code 5329

Musculoskeletal

Diagnostic code

5329

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38 CFR § 4.73 lists Diagnostic Code 5329 under Miscellaneous as “Sarcoma, soft tissue (of muscle, fat, or fibrous connective tissue)—100.” The rating cell on that row is empty. The 100 is in the name cell, after an em dash. A note follows.

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 letters in that note are “amemded.”

The rating criteria at each level

5329 Sarcoma, soft tissue (of muscle, fat, or fibrous connective tissue)

Rating %: 100

Criteria (verbatim). Sarcoma, soft tissue (of muscle, fat, or fibrous connective tissue)

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
100	Sarcoma, soft tissue (of muscle, fat, or fibrous connective tissue)

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 says “surgery, radiation treatment,” “therapeutic procedures,” “Six months,” “metastasis,” and “residual impairment of function.”

DC 5327 is “Muscle, neoplasm of, malignant (excluding soft tissue sarcoma)—100,” with the same note words. The parenthetical excludes soft tissue sarcoma. DC 5328 is “Muscle, neoplasm of, benign, postoperative,” and says to rate on impairment of function, that is, limitation of motion, or scars, diagnostic code 7805, and so on. It does not print 100. DC 5330 is residuals of rhabdomyolysis. It says to rate each affected muscle group separately and combine under § 4.25. That is not the DC 5329 note.

Note (2) at the opening of § 4.73 says ratings of slight, moderate, moderately severe, or severe for diagnostic codes 5301 through 5323 will be determined based upon the criteria in § 4.56. DC 5329 is not in 5301 through 5323. It does not print slight, moderate, moderately severe, or severe. 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 5329 does not print a 0 percent line. The change-in-evaluation sentence in the note cites § 3.105(e).

DC 7123, in § 4.104, is “Soft tissue sarcoma (of vascular origin),” with 100 in the rating cell. Its note says “surgical, X-ray,” “therapeutic procedure,” and “rate on residuals.” DC 8540, in § 4.124a, is “Soft-tissue sarcoma (of neurogenic origin).” Its note says the 100 percent rating will be continued for 6 months following cessation, and if there has been no local recurrence or metastases, the rating will be made on residuals. Those are different sentences from the DC 5329 note.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.73, Diagnostic Code 5329, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

The 100 is in the name

The row reads “Sarcoma, soft tissue (of muscle, fat, or fibrous connective tissue)—100.” The rating cell beside it is empty. DC 5327 uses the same em-dash pattern and excludes soft tissue sarcoma.

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. Soft-tissue sarcoma of muscle, fat, or fibrous connective tissue, 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	Soft-tissue sarcoma of muscle, fat, or fibrous connective tissue, 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 5329 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

Malignant neoplasm of muscle excludes this title.

DC 5327 says “excluding soft tissue sarcoma.” DC 5329 is the soft-tissue sarcoma row in this section, limited by its own parenthetical to muscle, fat, or fibrous connective tissue.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

38 CFR § 3.309(e) lists “Soft-tissue sarcoma (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, or mesothelioma).” Note 1 says the term “soft-tissue sarcoma” includes a list that begins with adult fibrosarcoma and ends with malignant ganglioneuroma. That row has no diagnostic code. It does not assign DC 5329, DC 7123, or DC 8540. This page does not treat “of muscle, fat, or fibrous connective tissue” as that Note 1 list.

Short answers

What is the VA rating for soft-tissue sarcoma under DC 5329?

Under 38 CFR § 4.73, Diagnostic Code 5329 prints 100 in the name cell for sarcoma of muscle, fat, or fibrous connective tissue. 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.

How is DC 7123 different?

DC 7123 is “Soft tissue sarcoma (of vascular origin).” Its note says “surgical, X-ray” and “rate on residuals.” DC 8540 is soft-tissue sarcoma of neurogenic origin, and its note says “metastases” and “6 months.” DC 5329 says “radiation treatment,” “metastasis,” and “residual impairment of function.”

FAQ

Where is the 100 on DC 5329?

It is in the name cell, after an em dash: “Sarcoma, soft tissue (of muscle, fat, or fibrous connective tissue)—100.” The rating cell is empty. 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 this the herbicide soft-tissue-sarcoma list?

Section 3.309(e) names soft-tissue sarcoma and excludes osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, and mesothelioma. Note 1 lists included types. That row has no diagnostic code. DC 5329 is the § 4.73 line for sarcoma of muscle, fat, or fibrous connective tissue.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 5329, 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 muscle codes are on the musculoskeletal diagnostic-code index.

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 5329 • 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.