The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for atrial fibrillation secondary to radiation treatment for lung cancer and exposure to ionizing radiation. The AOJ is instructed to develop the claim under the procedures for claims based on exposure to ionizing radiation, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's atrial fibrillation was caused or worsened by his 1953 exposure to ionizing radiation and subsequent radiation treatment for lung cancer.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the issue of service connection requires development under procedures for claims based on exposure to ionizing radiation, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's atrial fibrillation was caused or worsened by his 1953 exposure to ionizing radiation and subsequent radiation treatment for lung cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- atrial fibrillation, lung cancer
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Ionizing radiation
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20067985
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20067985.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation of his service-connected chronic fatigue and weakness due to chemotherapy and radiation treatment for lung cancer is granted, with an evaluation of 60 percent.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for residuals of lung cancer from May 1, 2005 is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for further evaluation of the Veteran's lung cancer and its relationship to service, including any in-service granuloma.
- Dismissed
The Board has vacated its decisions granting service connection for lung cancer and remanding issues of tinnitus and TDIU, but the Veteran's death means these appeals are dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for kidney cancer and lung cancer due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of his kidney cancer, which is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure. The claim for lung cancer is inextricably intertwined with the kidney cancer claim.
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