The Veteran's GIST and RCC are found to be secondary to his service-connected post-operative orchiectomy, left testicle, status post stage 1 seminoma due to radiation therapy. The Board granted the claims based on evidence showing a link between the radiation treatment for seminoma and the development of GIST and RCC.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion supports that the Veteran's GIST and RCC are at least as likely as not secondary to the radiation therapy he received for his service-connected seminoma, given the increased risk of future soft tissue sarcomas and renal cancers associated with ionizing radiation exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST), Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC)
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- Ionizing radiation
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19142315
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 Veteran's Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) is presumed to be etiologically related to his conceded in-service herbicide exposure. The Board finds that service connection for GIST, on a presumptive basis as due to herbicide exposure, is warranted. Service connection for the liver condition, including bile duct adenoma, secondary to service-connected GIST, is remanded.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) is related to his service-connected exposure to Agent Orange, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion on whether plantar fasciitis was aggravated by active duty training.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches, but no greater.
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