The Veteran's thyroid cancer, residuals of lymph node biopsy, and medium sternal mass have been granted service connection. The Veteran's disability of the colon and right eye cataract are pending further development.
The deciding factor: Service connection was established for the Veteran's thyroid cancer, residuals of lymph node biopsy, and medium sternal mass due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange).
- Claimed conditions
- Thyroid Cancer, Residuals of Lymph Node Biopsy, Medium Sternal Mass, Colon Polyps and Diverticulosis, Right Eye Cataract
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19185586
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,772 · Granted: 37% (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 19185586.
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 thyroid cancer, finding that the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his military service is related to his condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's thyroid cancer was granted a 100% rating effective December 28, 2021. The claim for increased thyroid cancer ratings is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded both the service connection claims for thyroid cancer residuals and hypothyroidism due to potential exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, as well as contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Veteran will need a TERA-specific examination to assess his total exposure through all deployments.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for Myelodysplastic Syndrome, Prostate Cancer, Thyroid Cancer, and Parkinson's Disease based on new and relevant evidence of exposure to toxic chemicals during active service.
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