Lung cancer decisions — 2020

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking any service-connected disability to his death. The Board also found that asbestos exposure did not contribute substantially or materially to the cause of death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for skin cancer and lung cancer, including those related to herbicide exposure. The effective date of the grant of service connection for lung cancer is also being remanded.

The Veteran's lung cancer is not service-connected, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during his active duty in Korea. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically lung cancer.

The Board has vacated its decision denying service connection for respiratory, bladder, and stomach disabilities. The claim of service connection for a stomach disability to include GERD is granted and remanded for further examination and consideration.

The Veteran's lung cancer is granted service connection based on presumed exposure to herbicides. The cause of death (pancreatic cancer) and ischemic heart disease are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's cause of death is due to malignant neoplasm of bladder, secondary malignant neoplasm of bones, lung cancer, and prostate cancer. The Board finds that the case should be remanded for verification of herbicide exposure at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, and for a medical opinion on whether Agent Orange exposure contributed to his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lung cancer, diabetes mellitus, type II, and upper extremity disorders due to exposure to herbicide agents. The claim for erectile dysfunction was also denied. Service-connected burial benefits were not granted as the cause of death was listed as lung cancer.

The Veteran's lung cancer is found to be due to asbestos exposure during service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, residuals of lung cancer, ischemic heart disease, and peripheral neuropathy on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure during service in Thailand.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of G.D.'s death due to lack of evidence linking lung cancer to any period of service, including honorable service in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the June 2013 VA examination was inadequate and requires a retrospective medical opinion to determine the nature and severity of the Veteran's service-connected lung cancer residuals prior to August 27, 2014.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions have been remanded due to the need for additional development.,Issues include prostate cancer, lung cancer, non-linear and linear surgical scars related to lung cancer, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy secondary to diabetes mellitus type II, and PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for lung cancer and ischemic heart disease, finding that the Veteran's exposure to tactical herbicides during his active duty was not established and that there was no causal link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's lung disability (claimed as asthma) was not pending at the time of his death, and therefore, accrued benefits for this condition are denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for anemia and artery stenosis (bilateral carotid stenosis and celiac stenosis) has been denied. The Board found that the conditions were not shown as chronic in service or within a presumptive period, and continuity of symptomatology was not established.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for malignant neoplasm of the oropharynx (claimed as cancer in tonsil) is remanded due to insufficient evidence on direct service connection. The Board noted that the issue may be related to presumed herbicide agent exposure, but a VA examination is needed to determine if there is any link.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for lung cancer is also remanded. The Board found that the issue may be related to his oropharyngeal cancer, which was not fully addressed in the previous decision.

The Board denied DIC benefits for the cause of the Veteran's death due to metastatic lung cancer, urosepsis, and dehydration. The Board found that these conditions did not have their onset during service or were otherwise related to active service.

The Veteran's lung cancer, which caused his death, was linked to his in-service exposure to asbestos. The Board found that service connection is warranted for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to herbicide agent exposure, as there is new evidence added to the record and a request must be made to verify the Veteran's reported exposure near the Korean DMZ.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about whether the Veteran served within 12 nautical miles of the Republic of Vietnam, which could affect his eligibility for presumptive service connection for lung cancer.