Bladder cancer decisions — 2020

The Veteran's bladder cancer is granted as secondary to his service-connected prostate cancer, which was presumed due to herbicide exposure. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for liver cancer and bladder cancer, finding that further investigation into potential exposure to ionizing radiation from nuclear weapons is necessary.

The Veteran's bladder and ureteral cancers were diagnosed decades after service, and the preponderance of evidence does not support a connection to herbicide exposure. The cancer is more likely due to heavy cigarette smoking.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bladder cancer, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and Raynaud’s disease (also claimed as CREST syndrome), all of which are alleged to be due to herbicide agent exposure during his military service in the Republic of Vietnam. The VA will obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's bladder cancer is being remanded for further examination and evaluation due to the possibility of a connection to herbicide exposure in service.

The Veteran's bladder cancer was not incurred in or aggravated by service and cannot be presumed due to in-service exposure to herbicides. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's bladder cancer is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding its relationship to his service, including exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bladder cancer, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his presumed exposure to herbicide agents in service.

The Veteran's bladder cancer, which was caused by his service-connected prostate cancer, is now considered a service-connected disability. As the cause of death, the claim for service connection for cause of death is granted.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bladder cancer that he believes is related to his service-connected prostate cancer. The VA examiner found it less likely than not that the bladder cancer was proximately due or the result of the prostate cancer, but did not address whether the prostate cancer aggravated the bladder cancer. The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum opinion addressing these issues.

The Veteran's bladder cancer is granted service connection due to exposure at Camp Lejeune. Service connection for achalasia and esophagitis, as well as a rating in excess of 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss, are remanded.

The Veteran's depressive disorder associated with bladder cancer is granted a 70 percent rating, effective February 14, 2012.,An earlier effective date for the grant of total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied.

The Board denied service connection for amblyopia (claimed as defective vision), COPD, and bladder cancer. The Veteran's claim was also remanded for additional development regarding hypertension.,Service connection for these conditions could not be established due to lack of a chronic disability in or after service, absence of evidence linking the disabilities to service, and inability to establish continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bladder cancer, prostate cancer, and kidney cancer due to exposure to herbicides and/or diesel fuel. The case is sent back for an independent medical opinion from an oncologist.

The Veteran's claims of an initial compensable rating for residuals status post bladder cancer and surgery for hematuria, as well as service connection for a psychiatric disorder (anxiety) secondary to his service-connected disabilities, are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bladder cancer is related to his military service, specifically his presumed exposure to herbicides while serving in Vietnam. As a result, the claim for service connection for bladder cancer is granted.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease has been denied as there is no evidence of congestive heart failure, left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of less than 30 percent, or other criteria warranting a higher rating.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for residuals of bladder cancer has also been denied as the medical evidence does not show urine leakage requiring use of an appliance or absorbent materials.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bladder cancer and hypothyroidism, both of which he contends are related to his active service in Vietnam. The evidence did not support a causal link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for bladder cancer and hypothyroidism, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his active duty service.,There is no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current diagnoses and his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluation of PTSD, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, lower back disability, and bladder cancer have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal prior to the promulgation of a decision.