The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his military service at U-Tapao air base in Thailand, and as a result of this exposure, multiple cancers including prostate cancer, laryngeal cancer, bladder cancer, and esophageal metastatic cancer are presumed to be related to his military service. As these were contributory causes of the Veteran’s death, entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death is granted.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his military service at U-Tapao air base in Thailand and as a result, multiple cancers including prostate cancer, laryngeal cancer, bladder cancer, and esophageal metastatic cancer are presumed to be related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- multiple cancers including prostate cancer, laryngeal cancer, bladder cancer, esophageal metastatic cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19107230
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bladder cancer, finding it to be related to the Veteran's in-service herbicide exposure.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of December 12, 2023, for a 50 percent evaluation of bipolar disorder and remanded the other issues for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, bladder cancer, due to in-service exposure to ionizing radiation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of bladder cancer to obtain an adequate VA TERA opinion and provide a clarifying opinion on the relationship between exposure to fuel or CARC and bladder cancer.
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