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
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,156 · Granted: 29% (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 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 has determined that the Veteran's cholangiocarcinoma is related to his military service, specifically exposure to Agent Orange during service in Vietnam. After considering all evidence and resolving all doubts in favor of the Veteran, the Board granted service connection for cholangiocarcinoma.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death is due to cholangiocarcinoma, which was diagnosed in 1988 and presumed to be caused by herbicide exposure during service. The appellant filed a DIC application on November 27, 1989, and the claim was granted with an effective date of November 27, 1989.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for colitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and cholangiocarcinoma as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected vitiligo.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for cholangiocarcinoma and has remanded the service connection claim for further development.
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