The Board granted service connection for polycythemia vera, finding that the Veteran's condition is at least as likely as not caused by exposure to Benzene and Trichloroethylene (TCE) during active service.
The deciding factor: The private medical opinion provided a high degree of certainty linking the Veteran's polycythemia vera to his exposure to contaminants at Eielson Air Force Base, which was on the EPA Superfund list due to known carcinogens like benzene and trichloroethylene (TCE).
- Claimed conditions
- polycythemia vera
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2025
- Citation
- A25039611
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 service connection for polycythemia vera, finding a nexus to in-service herbicide agent exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for additional development, including verifying the Veteran's claimed exposure to ionizing radiation and providing a new medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial 60 percent evaluation for polycythemia vera, as the Veteran was prescribed molecularly targeted therapy to control red blood cell count.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for polycythemia vera to obtain additional records from the Veteran's community care provider.
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