The veteran's thyroid cancer status post thyroidectomy was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred therein, nor may it be presumed to result from exposure to an herbicide agent in service nor from exposure to ionizing radiation in service.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence that the veteran's naval service involved duty or visitation in Vietnam, and there is no evidence linking his thyroid cancer to any such exposure. The veteran was not diagnosed with thyroid cancer during service or within one year of discharge, and there is no medical evidence establishing a link between his thyroid cancer and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- thyroid cancer status post thyroidectomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2009
- Citation
- 0904560
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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