Myeloma
Meaning of myeloma: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, myeloma: (a) means a malignant disease of plasma cells, in which a single line of plasma cells accumulates and produces a monoclonal immunoglobulin; and (b) includes: (i) extramedullary plasmacytoma; (ii) multiple myeloma; (iii) plasma cell leukaemia; and (iv) solitary plasmacytoma of bone. (3) While myeloma attracts ICD-10-AM code C90, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of myeloma is that given in subsection (2). (4) For subsection (3), a reference to an ICD-10-AM code is a reference to the code assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Tenth Edition, effective date of 1 July 2017, copyrighted by the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, ISBN 978-1-76007-296-4.
Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 95 of 2021
At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting myeloma or death from myeloma with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)having received a cumulative equivalent dose of at least 0.1 sievert of ionising radiation to the bone marrow at least five years before the clinical onset of myeloma;
Note: cumulative equivalent dose is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (2)inhaling, ingesting or having cutaneous contact with a chemical agent contaminated by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (TCDD): (a) for a cumulative period of at least 1,000 hours, within a consecutive period of 10 years before the clinical onset of myeloma; and (b) where the first exposure occurred at least 5 years before the clinical onset of myeloma;
Note: inhaling, ingesting or having cutaneous contact with a chemical agent contaminated by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (TCDD) is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (3)being: (a) on land in Vietnam; or (b) at sea in Vietnamese waters; or (c) on board a vessel and consuming potable water supplied on that vessel, when the water supply had been produced by evaporative distillation of estuarine Vietnamese waters; for a cumulative period of at least 30 days, at least 5 years before the clinical onset of myeloma; (a) on land in Vietnam; or (b) at sea in Vietnamese waters, estuarine Vietnamese waters and potable water are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary;
Note: being:.
- (4)having infection with human immunodeficiency virus at the time of the clinical onset of myeloma;
- (5)undergoing organ or tissue transplantation, excluding corneal transplant and autologous stem cell transplantation, before the clinical onset of myeloma;
Note: organ or tissue transplantation is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (6)being exposed to benzene as specified: (a) for a cumulative total of at least 2,500 hours within a continuous period of 5 years before the clinical onset of myeloma; and (b) where the first exposure in that period occurred at least 5 years before the clinical onset of myeloma;
Note: being exposed to benzene as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (7)receiving greater than 10 ppm-years of cumulative exposure to benzene before the clinical onset of myeloma, and where the first exposure occurred at least 5 years before the clinical onset of myeloma;
Note: ppm-years is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (8)being overweight or obese for a continuous period of at least 5 years before the clinical onset of myeloma;
Note: being overweight or obese is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (9)having an autoimmune disease from the specified list of autoimmune diseases at least 5 years before the clinical onset of myeloma;
Note: specified list of autoimmune diseases is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (10)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for myeloma;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsection 9(10) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 96 of 2021
3 factors
At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, myeloma or death from myeloma is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)undergoing organ or tissue transplantation, excluding corneal transplant and autologous stem cell transplantation, before the clinical onset of myeloma;
Note: organ or tissue transplantation is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (2)being obese for a continuous period of at least 5 years before the clinical onset of myeloma;
Note: being obese is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (3)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for myeloma;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsection 9(3) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
