Lung cancer decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete STRs and the need for further examination.

The appeals for service connection of the left-hand condition, right-hand condition, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, asbestosis, lung cancer, and squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsillar area (head/neck cancer) are dismissed. The appeal seeking entitlement to service connection for lung cancer is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and medical opinions to address whether the Veteran's lung cancer is related to his service-connected COPD or environmental exposure.

The Veteran's cause of death, respiratory failure due to metastatic lung cancer and advanced esophageal cancer, is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during service in Thailand. The Board found that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides while stationed at Udorn RTAFB and Takhli RTAFB, and granted service connection for cause of death as a result of in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's lung cancer is granted as service-connected due to presumed exposure. The PTSD rating is increased, but the remaining issues are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents while serving aboard the U.S.S. Midway in Vietnam.

The Board has granted the request to reopen the service connection claim for cause of the Veteran's death and remanded the issue due to a lack of evidence regarding Vietnam exposure.

The Veteran's lung cancer is denied as there was no evidence of asbestos exposure during service, and the condition did not manifest within one year of separation. The Board found that the claim cannot be granted based on continuity of symptomatology or presumptive service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for lung cancer and prostate cancer due to Agent Orange exposure, as well as service connection for erectile dysfunction (ED) secondary to prostate cancer. The Veteran served in Vietnam within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea, qualifying him for presumptive service connection under the Agent Orange Act.

The Veteran's lung cancer is granted as service-connected due to exposure to asbestos during military service.

The Veteran's lung cancer is not service connected due to insufficient evidence linking it to his military service, specifically exposure to contaminated water in Camp Lejeune or herbicide agents like Agent Orange.

The Veteran's lung cancer, which caused his death in March 2010, is presumed to have been caused by exposure to herbicide agents during service aboard the U.S.S. Coral Sea.

Service connection is granted for diabetes mellitus type II (diabetes), lung cancer, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities.,Service connection is granted for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, right lower extremity, left upper extremity, and right upper extremity as secondary to diabetes. Service connection is also granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as loss of train of thought).,Service connection is remanded for service connection for a disability manifested by poor circulation of the bilateral lower extremities other than peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's death was caused by non-small cell lung cancer, which is a disease presumed to be caused by exposure to ionizing radiation. The Appellant applied for DIC benefits in June 2012 and the effective date of service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death was granted as June 20, 2011. However, the claim for an earlier effective date is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during service in the Republic of Vietnam, and granted service connection for the cause of his death due to exposure to these agents.

The Board has granted service connection for lung cancer and the cause of death due to metastatic nonsmall cell lung cancer. The claim for a back disorder is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to lung cancer, finding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's exposure to asbestos in service to his current condition. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have a continuous symptom since service and concluded that smoking was more likely the cause of his adenocarcinoma.

The petition to reopen the claim of service connection for lung cancer, claimed as due to or a result of exposure to herbicides/Agent Orange (AO), is granted. The Veteran's service on the USS Navarro in Vietnam waters was considered but not sufficient to meet the criteria for presumptive service connection under VA regulations.

The Board has dismissed all issues on appeal as the Appellant withdrew her appeals prior to a decision being made by the Board.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied.,An initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was also denied.,Service connection for colon cancer, bladder cancer, and lung cancer were all denied.,Service connection for left knee disorder and right knee disorder were both denied.,Service connection for a left ankle disorder was not addressed as it did not meet the criteria for service connection.