The Veteran's death was caused by hypoxia due to malignant pleural effusion, anaplastic lung cancer and tobacco abuse. The Board found that the cause of his death was not related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA expert opinion found that the Veteran’s lung cancer was less likely than not related to his military service, including possible exposure to contaminated waters at Camp Lejeune.
- Claimed conditions
- hypoxia, malignant pleural effusion, anaplastic lung cancer, tobacco abuse
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19153194
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,088 · Granted: 33% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19153194.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's diffused large B-cell lymphoma stage 4 disability is related to service exposure, and secondary disabilities such as malignant pleural effusion, type 2 diabetes mellitus, gout, sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and persistent depressive disorder are also related to this primary condition.,The Veteran's diffused large B-cell lymphoma stage 4 disability is a direct result of service exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran's respiratory conditions, including pulmonary hypertension and hypoxia (claimed as asbestosis), are related to his service exposure. However, due to potential additional exposures during civilian employment, a remand is required for further examination and opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of the cause of the Veteran's death to obtain a TERA-specific opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's military service, including presumed exposure to burn pits, and his causes of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically related to in-service radiation exposure and its potential link to lung conditions.
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