Statement of PrinciplesconcerningMALIGNANT NEOPLASM OF THE MENINGES (Balance of Probabilities)(No. 80 of 2026)The Repatriation Medical Authority determines the following Statement of Principles under section 370CC of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004Dated 19 October 2026Dr Anthony Lynham AOChairpersonby and on behalf ofThe Repatriation Medical AuthorityContents1 Name2 Commencement3 Authority4 Repeal5 Application6 Definitions7 Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates8 Basis for determining the factors9 Factors that must exist10 Relationship to service11 Factors referring to an injury or disease covered by another Statement of PrinciplesSchedule 1 - Dictionary1 DefinitionsNameThis is the Statement of Principles concerning malignant neoplasm of the meninges (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 80 of 2026).CommencementThis instrument commences on 16 November 2026.AuthorityThis instrument is made under section 370CC of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.RepealThe Statement of Principles concerning malignant neoplasm of the cerebral meninges (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 4 of 2018) (Federal Register of Legislation No. F2018L00002) made under subsection 196B(3) of the VEA is repealed.ApplicationThis instrument applies to a claim to which section 339 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 applies.DefinitionsThe terms defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary have the meaning given when used in this instrument.This Statement of Principles is about malignant neoplasm of the meninges and death from malignant neoplasm of the meninges.Meaning of malignant neoplasm of the meningesmeans a primary malignant neoplasm arising from the cells of the meninges; andexcludes soft tissue sarcoma, carcinoid tumour, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma and melanoma.While malignant neoplasm of the meninges attracts ICD-10-AM code C70.0, C70.1 or C70.9, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of malignant neoplasm of the meninges is that given in subsection (2).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.Death from malignant neoplasm of the meningesFor the purposes of this Statement of Principles, malignant neoplasm of the meninges, in relation to a person, includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the person's malignant neoplasm of the meninges.Note: terminal event is defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary.Basis for determining the factorsOn the sound medical-scientific evidence available, the Repatriation Medical Authority is of the view that it is more probable than not that malignant neoplasm of the meninges and death from malignant neoplasm of the meninges can be related to relevant service under the MRCA or VEA.Note: MRCA, relevant service and VEA are defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary.Factors that must existAt least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, malignant neoplasm of the meninges or death from malignant neoplasm of the meninges is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:receiving a cumulative equivalent dose of at least 0.1 sievert of ionising radiation to the affected meninges at least 10 years before clinical onset;Note: cumulative equivalent dose is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.cyproterone acetate at a dose rate of at least 15 milligrams per day for a continuous period of at least one year; orchlormadinone acetate at a dose rate of at least 50 milligrams per day for a continuous period of at least one year;inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for malignant neoplasm of the meninges before clinical worsening.The existence in a person of any factor referred to in section 9, must be related to the relevant service rendered by the person.The clinical worsening aspect of factors set out in section 9 apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, malignant neoplasm of the meninges where the person's malignant neoplasm of the meninges was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person's relevant service.Factors referring to an injury or disease covered by another Statement of PrinciplesIn this Statement of Principles:if a factor referred to in section 9 applies in relation to a person; andthat factor refers to an injury or disease in respect of which a Statement of Principles has been determined under section 370CC of the MRCA;then the factors in that Statement of Principles apply in accordance with the terms of that Statement of Principles as in force from time to time.Schedule 1 - DictionaryNote: See Section 61 DefinitionsIn this instrument:cumulative equivalent dose means the total dose of ionising radiation received by the particular organ or tissue from external exposure, internal exposure or both, apart from normal background radiation exposure in Australia, calculated in accordance with the methodology set out in Guide to calculation of 'cumulative equivalent dose' for the purpose of applying ionising radiation factors contained in Statements of Principles determined under Part XIA of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (Cth), Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, as in force on 2 August 2017.Note 1: Examples of circumstances that might lead to exposure to ionising radiation include being present during or subsequent to the testing or use of nuclear weapons, undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic medical procedures involving ionising radiation, and being a member of an aircrew, leading to increased levels of exposure to cosmic radiation.Note 2: For the purpose of dose reconstruction, dose is calculated as an average over the mass of a specific tissue or organ. If a tissue is exposed to multiple sources of ionising radiation, the various dose estimates for each type of radiation must be combined.malignant neoplasm of the meninges—see subsection 7(2).MRCA means the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.relevant service means:(a) peacetime service;(b) service to which a claim mentioned in subsection 120B(1) of the VEA relates.terminal event means the proximate or ultimate cause of death and includes the following:(a) pneumonia;(b) respiratory failure;(c) cardiac arrest;(d) circulatory failure; or(e) cessation of brain function.VEA means the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.