The Board denied service connection for thyroid cancer and esophageal cancer, as well as a rating in excess of 20 percent for residuals of acromioclavicular separation, left shoulder, and TDIU prior to January 30, 2012. The decision was based on the lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or any presumptive exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is no credible evidence linking the Veteran's thyroid cancer and esophageal cancer to his military service, including exposure to ionizing radiation from nuclear warheads.
- Claimed conditions
- Thyroid Cancer, Esophageal Cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20072471
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,861 · Granted: 27% (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 20072471.
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.
- 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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