The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a right lung mass and left kidney removal, claimed as a result of tobacco use. The appeal is based on direct evidence rather than any presumption or secondary condition.
The deciding factor: The VA determined that there was no direct evidence linking the conditions to military service.
- Claimed conditions
- right lung mass, left kidney removal
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 6, 2004
- Citation
- 0403455
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,196 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0403455.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development related to toxic exposure claims, specifically jet fuel and asbestos exposure. The AOJ must determine if the Veteran participated in any TERA (Toxic Exposure Risk Activity) based on his service duties and locations.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for kidney cancer, which was due to exposure at Camp Lejeune, has been granted. The claim is dismissed as the benefit sought on appeal has already been fully addressed in a previous decision.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a left ankle disorder, a left leg disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. However, it granted an initial rating of 20 percent for residuals of bladder cancer and 10 percent for a scar of the left lower quadrant.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for kidney and bladder cancer, as well as the removal of the left kidney due to a service-connected disability.
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