Lung cancer decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the appellant's appeal for further development regarding her claim to be recognized as the Veteran's surviving spouse for VA death pension benefits, and for service connection claims. The underlying issues are inextricably intertwined with this recognition.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service personnel records and the need to verify the Veteran's exposure to burn pits. The cause of death claim will be reconsidered after completing these tasks.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the cause of the Veteran's death and his lung disability, including whether these conditions are related to service. The examiner will need to consider the full record, including lay statements about symptoms, and provide an opinion on the relationship between any respiratory condition and service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam, and for obtaining deck logs of his assigned vessels.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer and lung cancer, which are presumed related to exposure to herbicide agents during the Veteran's active service in Thailand. The cause of death (metastatic prostate cancer) is also considered service-connected.

The Veteran died of liver metastases and lung cancer. The Board found that the lung cancer was primary, not caused by service exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and denied service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory condition and lung cancer were denied as there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or asbestos, and the preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions had onset during service.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during his active service. Therefore, the claim for DIC benefits based on service connection for the cause of death is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and a new examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected residuals of lung cancer.

The Veteran's salivary gland cancer with metastatic lung cancer is being remanded for a VA examiner to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lung cancer is reopened due to new evidence submitted. However, the case is remanded as the claims are inextricably intertwined and a final decision cannot be rendered without adjudicating both claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and providing a retrospective opinion on the Veteran's respiratory symptoms.

The Board has granted service connection for lung cancer and metastatic bone disease as secondary to the service-connected lung cancer. Service connection for esophageal cancer is denied, and service connection for the cause of death (lung cancer) is granted.

The claim for service connection of lung cancer has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for esophageal cancer, lung, liver, lymph node and coronary artery disease due to presumed exposure to herbicides during active service. The appellant is seeking service connection on a presumptive basis.

The Board has remanded the cases due to uncertainty about whether the Veteran served within 12 nautical miles of Vietnam, which is required for presumptive service connection under the Agent Orange Act. The VA will need to verify this and provide a medical opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's cause of death and his herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's kidney cancer is granted service connection due to presumed exposure at Camp Lejeune. Lung cancer, which metastasized from the kidney cancer, is also granted as secondary.

The Veteran's lung cancer is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding its relationship to service, particularly his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lung cancer, including as secondary to in-service asbestos exposure, and for entitlement to a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The AOJ is instructed to verify any potential exposure to asbestos during the Veteran’s service and obtain an additional VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of his lung cancer.