Lung cancer decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that a valid and timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) was received in response to the July 2013 rating decision which denied entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death. The claim is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's lung cancer, which contributed to his death, was related to service. The appellant needs to provide a VA medical opinion on this issue.

The appellant has withdrawn her appeals regarding the issues of tinnitus, lung cancer, and kidney cancer.

The Veteran's lung cancer, which caused his death in September 2013, was not linked to his active service. The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and no medical opinion linking the lung cancer to service.

The Veteran's surviving spouse is granted a one-time payment for the month of his death due to VA compensation being in place at the time.

The Veteran did not have a pending claim for service connection for lung cancer due to Agent Orange exposure at the time of his death, and therefore there are no accrued benefits available.

The claims for service connection for lung cancer for accrued benefits purposes and the cause of the Veteran's death are being remanded due to pending actions by the AOJ.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss results in no worse than Level II hearing acuity. The appeal for service connection of lung cancer and hypothyroidism is remanded due to lack of exposure evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand and finds that his death was caused by these exposures. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to fulfill its duty to assist in obtaining an additional medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune caused or contributed to his death.

The Veteran's lung cancer residuals and COPD are being remanded for further evaluation due to conflicting medical opinions and the need for updated treatment records. The issues of SMC at the housebound rate, TDIU, and whether the reduction in disability rating was proper are also being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, as well as service connection for a bilateral knee condition. The issues regarding lung cancer and pyorrhea remain on appeal.

The Board denied DIC benefits based on the cause of death, finding that the Veteran's lung cancer was not related to service and did not contribute to his death. The primary cause of death was cardiorespiratory arrest with seizure disorder as a contributing factor.

The Veteran's cancers are radiogenic diseases and the VA must complete development to determine his in-service exposure to ionizing radiation. The claims for ED, lung damage, right bundle branch block, acid reflux, low testosterone, and SMC based on loss of use of creative organ will also be remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for residuals of prostate cancer, colon cancer, Barrett’s esophagus, and lung cancer due to exposure at Camp Lejeune.,No specific rating or effective date was assigned as the claims are being returned to the RO for further action.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to his service-connected seizure disorder, which the Board found as the principal cause of death.

The Veteran's left spontaneous pneumothorax is being remanded due to the submission of new evidence that suggests a relationship between his current COPD and lung cancer diagnoses and his military service. The Board must now evaluate whether he should be granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected postphlebitic syndrome did not contribute to or cause his lung cancer and pulmonary hypertension.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lung cancer, PTSD, and a sleep disorder due to lack of evidence supporting current diagnoses. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for lung cancer and the cause of death due to lung cancer, finding that exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune contributed to the Veteran's condition. The claim is reopened based on new evidence.