Cholangiocarcinoma and the VA

Was just on the VA Administration site reviewing case decisions for veterans who have put in claims for Service Connection VA Compensation for Cholangiocarcinoma. Most of the claims were put in by the surviving spouses.

Very sad to say that the common theme that I read in these claims was that THE VETERAN DID NOT MANIFIST CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA DURING THEIR PERIOD OF SERVICE OR WITHIN ONE YEAR, therefore the claims were all denied. There was one that was approved, but the bulk of them were denied. Does the VA just not get it? Do they not realize that this cancer can take many, many years to manifest itself and for the symptoms to become apparent?

I am submitting a claim with the VA for my husband Tom trying to get his cancer rated as service connected, however, I do not hold much hope based on what I just read.

I am however, unlike many others who have submitted their claims due to liver flukes from Vietman, submitting his claim based on his exposure to PCB’s from engine coolants, lubricants and hydraulic oils along with green army paint. The army has reported PCB concentrations as high as 76,000 PPM in their paint samples. And until about 2006 they used a paint hight in Chromium-6 which is a known carcinogen. Tom was a mechanic stationed in Germany and painted many hundreds of army vehicles and worked with oil, gas, hydraulic oils and paint which contained chromium-6.

---

In an article titled U.S. Army Environmental Command, released March 25, 2008 it states