The Board found that thyroid cancer and Grave's disease are not associated with the Veteran's military service, including exposure to herbicides. The claims were denied as there is no direct evidence linking these conditions to his service.
The deciding factor: Thyroid cancer and Graves' disease are not among the disabilities recognized by VA as etiologically related to herbicide exposure, and there is insufficient evidence to establish a direct link between the conditions and service.
- Claimed conditions
- Thyroid Cancer, Graves' Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 10, 2014
- Citation
- 1449947
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 1449947.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for thyroid cancer, finding that the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his military service is related to his condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for Graves' Disease and TDIU are remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's thyroid cancer was granted a 100% rating effective December 28, 2021. The claim for increased thyroid cancer ratings is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded both the service connection claims for thyroid cancer residuals and hypothyroidism due to potential exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, as well as contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Veteran will need a TERA-specific examination to assess his total exposure through all deployments.
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