Lung cancer decisions — 2004

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for small cell lung cancer and a back disorder, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Board denied the appellant's petition to reopen her claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that no new and material evidence had been received. The final denial remains unchanged.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining clarification opinions from a VA examiner regarding the veteran's lung disease and its relation to asbestos exposure. The appellant also has an accrued benefits claim pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and further development is needed, including obtaining medical records from Jackson Hospital and a private pulmonologist.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking the veteran's cancer to his military service or any presumptive conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of death due to pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer, which were not service-connected at the time of the veteran's death. The appeal is based on direct evidence rather than a presumption or reopening.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine if the veteran was exposed to asbestos during his service and whether this exposure contributed to his death.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, lung cancer, and hepatitis A/B due to exposure to herbicides. The cause of death was attributed to pancreatic cancer.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by or contributed to by any incident of military service, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to prostate and lung cancers, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The VA denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, concluding that lung cancer was not related to his service and did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development due to VCAA compliance issues and a need for medical opinion regarding the nature, time of onset, and etiology of the veteran's lung cancer.

The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer and lung cancer, finding that the conditions were not incurred or aggravated during active service. The claimant did not serve in the Republic of Vietnam, so he could not be presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange (AO) herbicide. As a result, the VA denied both claims.

The veteran's appeal was dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board making a final decision.

The Board finds that the veteran's cause of death, pneumonia due to probable lung cancer, was not caused by any incident of service. The appellant is also denied DIC benefits as she did not meet the criteria for a ten-year period of continuous disability prior to her husband's death.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that lung cancer was not related to service or exposure to asbestos in service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete records and need for a VA medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the veteran served in Vietnam during his service on USS Mahan (DLG 11). The appellant must provide any evidence showing that the veteran was ever in Vietnam for any reason, including letters or photographs of the veteran in Vietnam. The RO will attempt to obtain the veteran's service personnel records and cruise books for the period December 1962 to June 1968.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death, adult respiratory distress syndrome, was not caused or aggravated by his service. The significant contributing condition, lung cancer, also did not have a direct link to his service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing VCAA notice.