The Veteran's cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) is related to in-service exposure to ionizing radiation from nuclear tipped warheads, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was exposed to ionizing radiation during his active duty as a weapons officer and deck officer on the USS G.K. Mackenzie, which led to his development of cholangiocarcinoma decades later.
- Claimed conditions
- cholangiocarcinoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20081573
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 an effective date of November 30, 2016, but not earlier, for the award of service connection for cholangiocarcinoma.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, cholangiocarcinoma, based on evidence supporting a direct relationship between the disease and the Veteran's in-service exposure to Agent Orange.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for a survivor's pension was denied due to the appellant's countable income exceeding the maximum annual pension rate. The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for cause of death.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence that his cholangiocarcinoma was related to his military service or any service-connected condition.
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