Bladder cancer decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bladder cancer is related to his service-connected prostate cancer treatment, and thus grants service connection for the disability.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin condition, but further development is needed before these issues can be decided.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bladder cancer, which he claims is due to exposure to Agent Orange while in Vietnam, has been remanded. The Board requested a new VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's condition is related to his military service and exposure to herbicides.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bladder cancer is not related to his service, including any exposure to herbicides. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection or secondary service connection based on his prostate cancer.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for service connection for bladder cancer, residuals of prostate surgery, erectile dysfunction, and entitlement to a TDIU.

The Board has found that the Veteran likely has peripheral neuropathy that is related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's bladder cancer is related to his service or aggravated by his service-connected prostate cancer.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the issues of entitlement to service connection for prostate cancer and bladder cancer.

The Veteran's bladder cancer is found to be related to his military service, including exposure to insecticides. Service connection for the condition is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and effective dates are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records. The Veteran also needs an examination regarding his hypertension.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bladder cancer, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated by his active duty service and did not fall under any presumptive conditions due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's cause of death was advanced metastatic bladder cancer. The Board found that there is no evidence to support a connection between the Veteran's Agent Orange exposure and his bladder cancer, leading to a denial of service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and records, as well as potential errors in the current VA examiner's opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for depression and to reopen his claim of service connection for bladder cancer, including as a result of Agent Orange exposure. The Veteran was not provided with a VA examination for his bladder cancer claim.

The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing at the Milwaukee, Wisconsin VA Regional Office.

The Veteran's death was not caused by service-connected conditions, including bladder cancer. The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of the Veteran's death due to bladder cancer and also denied the issue regarding whether prostate cancer contributed substantially or materially in producing his death.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that prostate cancer, a disease presumptively linked to herbicide exposure, substantially contributed to his death. The appellant is now entitled to VA benefits based on this determination.

The Veteran's cause of death is service connected due to bladder cancer, which was incurred during active duty. The issue of nonservice-connected death pension benefits is dismissed as moot by the grant of service connection for the cause of death. The claim for accrued benefits for a psychiatric disorder is also rendered moot.

The Veteran's bladder cancer is not service connected as it was not incurred or aggravated by his military service, and there is no evidence of a nexus to herbicide exposure during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's kidney and bladder cancers did not have their onset during active service or result from disease or injury in service, and were not caused by or aggravated by a service-connected disability. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.