Bladder cancer decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bladder cancer residuals, MDS, and MGUS due to exposure to herbicide agents. The Veteran's MGUS is presumed due to herbicide agent exposure.,The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for MDS due to herbicide agent exposure. The Veteran's MGUS is presumed due to herbicide agent exposure.,The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for MGUS, which is presumed due to herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's prostate and bladder cancers were not manifest during service or until many years thereafter, thus the claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the award of a total disability rating based on individual employability due to service-connected disabilities was denied. The Board found that the earliest possible effective date is April 10, 2012, which is when the original claim for TDIU was received.

The Veteran's service connection for residuals of bladder cancer and secondary service connection for residuals of lymph node cancer as caused by residuals of bladder cancer are both granted due to exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus, Type II (DMII) is granted due to exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand. The claims for residuals of bladder cancer and myelodysplastic syndrome are remanded as the Veteran has not yet been provided VA examinations regarding these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions have been denied. The claim for tinnitus was granted with a 10% rating, but the effective date is prior to July 18, 2016.,Other claims for service connection or increased ratings were either not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence or denied outright.

The Veteran's claims for bladder cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, prostate cancer, left leg aneurysm, and sleep apnea have all been denied as they are not service-connected.

The Veteran's bladder cancer is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding its relationship to service, including presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The issue of whether the prostate cancer aggravates the bladder cancer is also remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for bladder cancer, as it requires additional information and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for recurrent acne was denied due to his failure to report for a VA examination.,Claims of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, Gulf War syndrome, and vascular condition were previously denied as the evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, which included bladder cancer and multiple myeloma, is related to exposure to benzene and other chemicals during his military service. As a result, the claim for service connection for cause of death is granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus type II, Barrett's Esophagus, and bladder cancer due to potential exposure to Agent Orange during service. The Veteran needs to provide proof of his service on USS Coral Sea (CVA 43) within 12-nautical miles of Vietnam, and VA will obtain medical records from Dr. Hamrock.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination regarding whether the Veteran's bladder cancer and liver cyst are related to his service, specifically exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's bladder cancer and its residuals are being remanded for further development to determine if her service connection claim should be reopened due to new evidence, specifically exposure to herbicides or other hazardous chemicals during her service at Fort McClellan from May to July 1985.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected condition, and the Appellant did not meet eligibility criteria for death pension or burial benefits.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than February 13, 2014, for the award of service connection for adjustment disorder was denied. The Board found that no communication prior to February 13, 2014, could be construed as a claim.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than August 31, 2015, for the award of service connection for bladder cancer was also denied. The Board found that no communication prior to August 31, 2015, could be construed as a claim.,The Veteran’s claims for increased disability ratings for chronic rhinitis with epistaxis associated with Wegener’s granulomatosis and an adjustment disorder were remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The TDIU claim was also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claims.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if there is any link between the Veteran's bladder cancer and his military service, including herbicide exposure. The current opinion from the November 2017 VA examiner was deemed inadequate.

The Veteran's bladder cancer is related to his military service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's prostate cancer and ischemic heart disease are presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during service. The Veteran's bladder cancer is not linked to any incident of active service.

Service connection is granted for diabetes mellitus, Type II, heart disorder, Parkinson's disease and prostate cancer. Service connection remains denied for the other conditions.