The Board has granted service connection for left nephrectomy due to left kidney cancer and right kidney insufficiency as secondary to service-connected type II diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy, based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his Vietnam service.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports a finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents in Vietnam, including Agent Orange, which is associated with an increased risk of kidney cancer. The VA nephrologist provided a positive etiological opinion linking the Veteran's kidney cancer to this exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- left kidney cancer, right kidney insufficiency
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 9, 2018
- Citation
- 1827941
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 1827941.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction, left kidney cancer, and neuro-cognitive disorder with depressive disorder from January 8, 2020 was denied. The Veteran's headaches were granted a 10% rating effective January 8, 2020, but the Veteran's vertigo did not meet the criteria for a greater than 10% rating.
- Granted
The Veteran is entitled to an effective date of May 7, 2020 for the award of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the regular need for aid and attendance due to his kidney cancer.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for initial compensable disability ratings for left kidney cancer and scar, anterior trunk are remanded due to a lack of VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, and will need to obtain a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's left kidney cancer is related to service, including presumed exposure to herbicide agents.
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