The Veteran's throat cancer with loss of salivary glands, psychiatric disability (depressive disorder), cognitive disability, autonomic neurological disability (autonomic neuropathy), orthostatic hypotension, and residuals of strokes were not shown to have had their onset in service or within the first post-service year.,VA medical opinions did not support a relationship between these disabilities and service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current throat cancer with loss of salivary glands is presumed to be due to exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) during service, but there was no evidence of continuity of symptomatology or other medical opinion supporting the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- throat cancer with loss of salivary glands, psychiatric disability (depressive disorder), cognitive disability, autonomic neurological disability (autonomic neuropathy), orthostatic hypotension, residuals of strokes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20067642
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for orthostatic hypotension as there were no current symptoms of the condition on examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for chronic renal disease, diabetic retinopathy, kidney transplant, and orthostatic hypotension to schedule VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for obstructive sleep apnea, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and orthostatic hypotension to obtain new VA medical opinions addressing their relationship to service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for orthostatic hypotension, finding a causal relationship to the Veteran's military service.
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