38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.114

Malignant neoplasms of the digestive system, exclusive of skin growths — VA Diagnostic Code 7343

Digestive

Diagnostic code

7343

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38 CFR § 4.114 lists Diagnostic Code 7343 as “Malignant neoplasms of the digestive system, exclusive of skin growths”. The title does not end with a colon or a period. The rating on that row is 100. The note continues that 100 percent beyond cessation of treatment, requires a mandatory VA examination six months after discontinuance, subjects a change in evaluation to § 3.105(e), and says to rate on residuals if there has been no local recurrence or metastasis. Appendix B to Part 4 shortens the name to “Neoplasms, malignant.”

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 § 4.114 source note prints 29 FR 6718, May 22, 1964, as amended at 34 FR 5063, Mar. 11, 1969; 40 FR 42540, Sept. 15, 1975; 41 FR 11301, Mar. 18, 1976; 66 FR 29488, May 31, 2001; 89 FR 19743, Mar. 20, 2024.

The rating criteria at each level

7343 Malignant neoplasms of the digestive system, exclusive of skin growths

Rating %: 100

Criteria (verbatim). Malignant neoplasms of the digestive system, exclusive of skin growths

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
100	Malignant neoplasms of the digestive system, exclusive of skin growths

Note: A rating of 100 percent shall continue beyond the cessation of any surgical, X-ray, antineoplastic chemotherapy or other therapeutic procedure. 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 residuals.

The note does not name a diagnostic code for the residuals. It says “rate on residuals.”

The note names § 3.105(e). It does not state a payment amount.

38 CFR § 3.105(e) is the provision the note names for a change in evaluation based on the six-month examination or a later one. This page does not restate a payment rule.

The opening of 38 CFR § 4.114 says: “Do not combine ratings under diagnostic codes 7301 through 7329 inclusive, 7331, 7342, 7345 through 7350 inclusive, 7352, and 7355 through 7357 inclusive, with each other. Instead, when more than one rating is warranted under those diagnostic codes, assign a single evaluation under the diagnostic code that reflects the predominant disability picture, and elevate it to the next higher evaluation if warranted by the severity of the overall disability.” That sentence names 7342 and then 7345 through 7350. It does not name 7343.

DC 7344 is “Benign neoplasms, exclusive of skin growths:”. It says to evaluate under a diagnostic code appropriate to the predominant disability or the specific residuals after treatment, and its note includes lipoma, leiomyoma, colon polyps, or villous adenoma. That is not the DC 7343 row. Appendix B indexes “Malignant skin neoplasms.” at 7818. The DC 7343 title says “exclusive of skin growths” and does not name DC 7818. 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.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.114, Diagnostic Code 7343, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

The index reverses the words

The rating row says “Malignant neoplasms of the digestive system, exclusive of skin growths”. Appendix B says “Neoplasms, malignant.” The index does not repeat “digestive system” or “skin growths.”

100, then the six-month examination

The note continues the 100 percent rating beyond cessation of any surgical, X-ray, antineoplastic chemotherapy or other therapeutic procedure. Six months after discontinuance, a mandatory VA examination determines the rating.

Residuals are not given a code here

If there has been no local recurrence or metastasis, the note says to rate on residuals. It does not name DC 7344 or any other number in that sentence.

Evidence that speaks to each level

100

What the rater needs to see. A malignant neoplasm of the digestive system, exclusive of skin growths, including the period the note continues after treatment stops.

Where that usually lives. The diagnosis and the treatment record, including the date treatment was discontinued.

After the six-month examination

What the rater needs to see. The mandatory VA examination six months after discontinuance, and the residuals the note refers to if there has been no local recurrence or metastasis. The note does not name the residual code.

Where that usually lives. The examination the note requires, and the decision’s residual code if it assigns one.

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
100	A malignant neoplasm of the digestive system, exclusive of skin growths, including the period the note continues after treatment stops.	The diagnosis and the treatment record, including the date treatment was discontinued.
After the six-month examination	The mandatory VA examination six months after discontinuance, and the residuals the note refers to if there has been no local recurrence or metastasis. The note does not name the residual code.	The examination the note requires, and the decision’s residual code if it assigns one.

VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, lists Esophageal Disorders, Stomach and Duodenum, Intestinal Conditions, Liver Conditions, Pancreas, and Gallbladder as separate files under Gastrointestinal. None of those titles is “Malignant neoplasms of the digestive system.”

The exam form

DC 7343 prints 100 and the six-month note. This page does not pick one gastrointestinal form as a substitute for that note.

Related codes and how they interact

Benign digestive neoplasms are the next code.

DC 7344 evaluates benign neoplasms, exclusive of skin growths, under the predominant disability or the specific residuals after treatment. Its inclusion note is not printed under DC 7343.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

38 CFR § 3.309(d)(2) names “Cancer of the esophagus,” “Cancer of the stomach,” “Cancer of the small intestine,” “Cancer of the pancreas,” “Cancer of the bile ducts,” “Cancer of the gall bladder,” and “Cancer of the colon,” among other diseases. The gall-bladder sentence uses two words. None of those sentences says “Malignant neoplasms of the digestive system, exclusive of skin growths,” and none assigns DC 7343. This page does not assign this code to those family names. The 2026-10-01 text of § 3.309 does not contain “digestive.”

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 the digestive system?

Under 38 CFR § 4.114, Diagnostic Code 7343 is 100 percent for malignant neoplasms of the digestive system, exclusive of skin growths. The note describes the six-month examination and says to rate on residuals if there has been no local recurrence or metastasis. Education only. VA decides on the evidence. This page does not state a payment amount.

Why does the index say only “Neoplasms, malignant”?

Appendix B uses those two words and a period. The rating row names the digestive system and says exclusive of skin growths, and it does not end with a period.

FAQ

How does VA rate a malignant neoplasm of the digestive system under DC 7343?

The row is 100 percent. The note continues that rating beyond the cessation of surgery, X-ray, antineoplastic chemotherapy, or another therapeutic procedure. Six months after discontinuance, a mandatory VA examination determines the rating. If there has been no local recurrence or metastasis, rate on residuals. Education only.

Does the do-not-combine sentence include DC 7343?

The opening of § 4.114 lists 7301 through 7329 inclusive, 7331, 7342, 7345 through 7350 inclusive, 7352, and 7355 through 7357 inclusive. It names 7342 and then jumps to 7345. It does not name 7343.

Is cancer of the gall bladder assigned to this code in § 3.309?

Section 3.309(d)(2)(xii) says “Cancer of the gall bladder.” It does not assign DC 7343. The same paragraph names other digestive cancers by organ and does not use the schedule title.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 7343, the treatment dates, and any residual code used after the six-month examination.
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 digestive codes are on the digestive diagnostic-code index. The category page is digestive 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 Digestive, ordered by diagnostic code number. All Digestive codes

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

Source: 38 CFR Part 4, Diagnostic Code 7343 • 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.