Lung cancer decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the claims for additional review due to a lack of compliance with prior remand directives regarding an independent medical expert's opinion and its analysis.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the merits have been dismissed due to withdrawal of appeal. The claims for reopening were granted, and new evidence was submitted in support of these claims.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and lung cancer due to a lack of evidence of herbicide exposure during the Veteran's service in Korea.

The Board has granted service connection for lung cancer, finding that the Veteran's exposure to asbestos and other occupational hazards in service is etiologically related to his condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, including his hypertension, coronary artery disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The VA is instructed to obtain the Veteran’s complete VA treatment records and verify any herbicide exposure or Gulf War service environmental exposures.

The Board denied service connection for lung cancer as there is no evidence of the claimed disability, and any speculative assertions were not supported by medical authority.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous remand directives and further development is needed, including determining if the Veteran served in Vietnam waters for herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and the Board denied both his claim for DIC and his claim for service connection for cause of death.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for an addendum VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's lung disease, including whether it is at least as likely as not related to service and asbestos exposure.

The Veteran's lung cancer was diagnosed on June 9, 2016. The Board found an effective date of June 9, 2016 for the award of service connection due to retroactive application of a liberalizing law. However, the case is remanded as the appellant contends the Veteran had symptoms prior to this diagnosis.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer with metastasis was not caused by or related to his military service or any service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to conflicting medical evidence and failure to comply with prior remand instructions.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that there is no evidence linking his death to his active military service or any of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for lung condition with nodules (claimed as lung cancer due to asbestos and hazardous materials exposure) was dismissed because the Veteran died during the pendency of his appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for lung cancer and remanded the TDIU claim due to its inextricably intertwined nature with the grant of service connection.

The Veteran's lung cancer is granted as service connected due to exposure to carcinogens in service and inflammation from his COPD. Effective November 16, 2020, he is rated at 100 percent for COPD with obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for lung cancer, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during active duty.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and there is no evidence to support that his lung cancer was related to service.

The Board has denied service connection for pharynx and thoracic/mid back disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lung cancer. The claims are being remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied service connection for lung cancer, including as secondary to asbestos exposure, and the cause of death due to lung cancer. The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's lung cancer was related to his military service or asbestos exposure.