Bladder cancer decisions — 2008

The veteran's death was caused by metastatic liver cancer due to bladder cancer, which is not service-connected. The Board denied the DIC claim as diabetes mellitus did not cause or contribute substantially to his death.

The Board found that the veteran's bladder cancer was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and denied his claim.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claim that his bladder cancer or its residuals were caused by his time in service, and denied the claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including colon cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, prostatitis, and a lumbar spine disability. The decisions were based on lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service or herbicide exposure.

The veteran's service connection claims for bladder cancer, bilateral carotid artery blockage, angioplasty, kidney problems, and blocked veins from the neck down are being remanded due to incomplete records and potential exposure to ionizing radiation during service.

The Board has remanded the case to VA's Under Secretary for Benefits to consider whether it is at least as likely as not that the veteran's bladder cancer resulted from exposure to ionizing radiation during active service. The AOJ will then readjudicate the claim and provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.

The RO denied service connection for bladder cancer as there was no evidence of exposure to Agent Orange and the available medical records did not show that the veteran's bladder cancer was incurred or aggravated by military service.

The veteran seeks service connection for bladder cancer, claiming it was caused by herbicide exposure during his military service in Vietnam. The RO denied the claim based on presumptive provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(e), but the Board finds that a VA medical examination is necessary to determine if there may be a direct etiological link between the veteran's current bladder cancer and herbicide exposure.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bladder cancer and cluster headaches, are being remanded due to the failure of the veteran to appear at a scheduled hearing.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the veteran's bladder cancer was caused by radiation exposure during service. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The veteran claims service connection for residuals of bladder cancer, alleging exposure to DDT and diesel oil during military service. The Board has ordered additional development including obtaining service personnel records and medical records.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded to the RO for additional development.

The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing due to the veteran's request.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased disability rating for asbestosis, service connection for bladder cancer, and service connection for tinnitus. The veteran was not granted any of his claims.

The Board denied service connection for bladder cancer, finding no evidence linking the condition to service or any service-connected disability.

The veteran's bladder cancer was denied service connection as it is not a presumptive disease for herbicide exposure, and there is no credible evidence of direct causation.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of a chronic disability in service or within one year of discharge, and no competent medical evidence linking the current hearing loss to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for all the claimed conditions as there was no competent evidence of any currently diagnosed condition that is related to the veteran's active military service.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development, including obtaining an opinion from the veteran's treating physician regarding a potential link between bladder cancer and presumed exposure to herbicides.

The veteran is entitled to a 100 percent disability rating for the period from June 1, 2004, to December 1, 2004, but no higher for the period since December 1, 2004.