Lung cancer decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a radiation dose estimate and following procedural requirements of 38 C.F.R. § 3.311.

The Veteran seeks service connection for lung cancer, which he claims is due to herbicide exposure during his military service. The AOJ will attempt to verify the Veteran's assertion that he was on or near the perimeter of the U-Tapao base and worked at the bomb/munitions dump.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death due to his cancer, finding no evidence of herbicide exposure in Panama and insufficient evidence linking his cancers to military service.

The Veteran's lung cancer claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his complete service personnel records and considering a VA examiner's opinion.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's lung cancer at the time of his death.

The Veteran's lung cancer is found to be at least as likely as not caused by his in-service asbestos exposure. His heart disease, which he contends was caused by radiation treatment for his lung cancer, is also service-connected.

The Board denied the claim for accrued benefits as there is not an available monetary benefit for accrued benefits purposes due to the timing of filing the original claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a pulmonary disability, including lung cancer, COPD, silicosis, and fibrosis, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lung cancer did not manifest during his active duty service or for many years thereafter, and is therefore not related to his military service.

The Veteran's lung and bladder cancers were not found to be related to his active service, while liver cancer was found to have onset during service. The Board denied all claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lung cancer, which was diagnosed following his exit from service and is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam, contributed substantially to his death. As such, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a dose estimate of the Veteran's radiation exposure and an opinion regarding whether it is at least as likely as not that his cancers resulted from such exposure. The remaining issues are inextricably intertwined with the cause of death claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of additional evidence, including a VHA medical expert opinion. The appellant is not waiving RO consideration of this evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lung cancer is related to his presumed exposure to herbicides during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death due to lung cancer.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for lung cancer, which was linked to exposure at Camp Lejeune, has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's death was caused by his own history of smoking, not by any service-connected disability. The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected foot disabilities did not contribute to or cause his terminal respiratory conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of his death.