The Board found that the Veteran's pneumothorax and adenocarcinoma of the cecum were not related to service or asbestos exposure, and thus denied both claims.
The deciding factor: The VA pulmonologist concluded that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's conditions to his in-service asbestos exposure or to any other incident of service origin.
- Claimed conditions
- Pneumothorax, Residuals, adenocarcinoma of the cecum
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 3, 2013
- Citation
- 1339650
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 1339650.
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 service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his pulmonary fibrosis was at least as likely as not related to his presumed in-service exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange). The decision also considers whether his service-connected diabetes mellitus contributed to his lung conditions.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and VA treatment records.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for residuals of pneumothorax has been granted. The initial rating for PTSD before October 29, 2020 remains denied.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for COPD as secondary to service-connected pneumothorax residuals is denied.
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