Bladder cancer decisions — 2010

The Veteran's bladder cancer, which was the primary cause of his death, is service-connected as it developed during active duty.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and analysis due to the Veteran's claims of service connection for bladder, prostate, and abdominal cancer. The appeal is currently in a pending state.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus on a secondary basis to the Veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss. The claim for bladder cancer was not substantiated as there is no evidence of its presence during service or within one year post-service, and the Veteran did not provide sufficient evidence to establish exposure to ionizing radiation that could support a presumption under 38 C.F.R. § 3.311.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and bladder cancer, finding no evidence of in-service onset or association with service.

The Board found no competent medical evidence linking the Veteran's bladder cancer to his military service, including presumed exposure to Agent Orange. The Veteran's treating VA physician opined that there was less than a 50% chance that the Veteran's bladder cancer was caused by Agent Orange exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute substantially to his death. The appellant argued that her husband’s service-connected cancer was the cause of his death, but the evidence does not support this claim.

The Veteran's prostate cancer claim was reopened, but service connection for this condition is denied as there is no evidence linking it to his active duty service. The Veteran's bladder cancer claim is also denied due to lack of evidence connecting the condition to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's bladder cancer was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for postoperative bladder cancer and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's bladder cancer was not shown to be related to his military service, and there is no evidence of in-service or continuity of symptomatology after discharge.

The Veteran's bladder cancer was not incurred in service and is not related to any in-service disease or injury, including exposure to Agent Orange. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and bladder cancer were not incurred in or aggravated by his active service, nor may they be presumed to have been so incurred. The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bladder cancer, finding that there was no evidence linking his condition to his active duty service or presumed exposure to herbicides.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bladder cancer, prostate cancer, gastrointestinal disorder (bleeding stomach and bleeding from the bowels), skin cancer, and lumbar spine disorder, all of which were claimed as secondary to herbicide exposure. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to his active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bladder cancer, finding no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for cause of death due to COPD and other conditions, finding that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to his death. The claim was reopened based on new evidence (diabetes mellitus), but this alone is insufficient to establish service connection.

The Board denied service connection for bladder cancer and porphyria, including as secondary to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's current conditions were not attributable to his active service.

The Board found no evidence of exposure to ionizing radiation during service and concluded that the Veteran's bladder cancer is not related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for skin cancer and bladder cancer. The claim for skin cancer was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence, while the claim for bladder cancer was denied outright.

The Veteran's bladder cancer is related to the positive findings of leukocytes shown on urinalysis at separation in February 1992, and the Board granted service connection for bladder cancer.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bladder cancer was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not related to any disease or injury incurred therein. As a result, the claim of service connection for bladder cancer has been denied.