The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for cancer of the left kidney, cancer of the left tonsil, and cancer of the trachea, all claimed as due to herbicide exposure during service in Vietnam. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.
The deciding factor: The Board found no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current disabilities to his active service or to presumed herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- cancer of the left kidney, cancer of the left tonsil, cancer of the trachea
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 12, 2004
- Citation
- 0428090
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0428090.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and cancer of the left tonsil, both related to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was diagnosed during service with significant threshold shifts, meeting VA criteria for a disability. His cancer of the left tonsil is presumed to be due to his exposure to herbicides.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for cancer of the left tonsil and tongue, which he contends was caused by exposure to herbicide agents during service, is being remanded due to a lack of a VA medical opinion on the nature and etiology of his condition.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left kidney cancer due to exposure to herbicides, but denied service connection for rectal cancer.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss disability has been dismissed. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for cancer of the trachea and thyroid cancer due to radiation exposure, as well as service connection for sleep apnea and depression.
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