The Board has determined that the Veteran's chest tightness is a symptom of her service-connected fibromyalgia and/or nonservice-connected left breast cancer, and therefore does not represent a separate disability warranting service connection.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence shows that the Veteran's chest tightness is related to her service-connected fibromyalgia and/or nonservice-connected left breast cancer. As such, it cannot be separately service connected as a distinct condition.
- Claimed conditions
- chest tightness, left breast cancer
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 24, 2012
- Citation
- 1229248
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1229248.
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: Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left breast cancer, finding that her current disability resulted from in-service toxic exposure risk activities (TERAs). The positive and negative evidence is at least approximately balanced or nearly equal.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left breast cancer, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left breast cancer and associated residual partial mastectomy and lymph node sampling scars, finding that these conditions are related to her active duty service from June 2010 to July 2010.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for left breast cancer and residual scars, status post breast mastectomy to obtain an opinion under the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins Act of 2022 (PACT Act) due to the Veteran's presumed exposure to burn pits during her service in Iraq and Kuwait.
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