The Board has determined that the Veteran's malignant thymoma, which caused his death in January 2003, is related to his active service and grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran's malignant thymoma was diagnosed approximately 31 months after he left active service, but Dr. Lynch opined it is 'highly likely' that elements of the disease were present at the time of his separation.
- Claimed conditions
- malignant thymoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 12, 2013
- Citation
- 1308202
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 1308202.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for cause of death and entitlement to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation due to a duty to assist error related to toxic exposure risk activities (TERA) participation during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for malignant thymoma and for an initial compensable rating for baroreflex failure due to outstanding medical records that need to be obtained.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for malignant thymoma, finding that his condition was at least as likely as not related to his in-service exposure to Agent Orange. The decision is based on a medical opinion provided by the Veteran's private cardiothoracic surgeon.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's malignant thymoma is being remanded for further evaluation due to the need for a medical opinion regarding its etiology, including potential herbicide exposure during service.
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