The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia and Hodgkin's lymphoma, finding that the correct effective date is October 27, 2005.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the earliest possible effective date was October 27, 2005, as this was the date of receipt of the Veteran's original claim for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 16, 2018
- Citation
- 18142499
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 18142499.
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 Hodgkin's lymphoma, finding that the Veteran was exposed to commercial herbicides and pesticides during her service on Galeta Island in Panama, which contributed to her development of Hodgkin's lymphoma.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for PTSD, asthma disorder, and Hodgkin's lymphoma to correct a pre-decisional error of the duty to assist.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for an earlier effective date and TDIU due to duty-to-assist errors, including unaddressed exposure to AFFF and a missing medical opinion on etiology.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection of Hodgkin's lymphoma, scars secondary to Hodgkin's lymphoma, and vitiligo as secondary to Hodgkin's lymphoma, all based on the PACT Act.
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