The veteran died of cancer of the brain. The Board found no evidence to support a service connection for his death and denied both the cause of death claim and the educational assistance claim.
The deciding factor: The veteran's brain cancer was diagnosed 30 years after his discharge from active service, and there is no medical evidence linking it to his military service or exposure to herbicides. The appellant did not provide sufficient evidence for a service-connected disability that would qualify her for educational assistance under Chapter 35.
- Claimed conditions
- cancer of the brain
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2001
- Citation
- 0121323
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0121323.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran died from respiratory failure due to metastatic adenocarcinoma and cancer of the brain. The Board found that his death was not caused by service-connected conditions, including presumed herbicide agent exposure.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to whether the deceased's character of discharge from military service is a bar to VA benefits, as well as claims for service connection for lung cancer and brain cancer. The appeal will be reconsidered after addressing the issue of substitution.
- Whole decision: Denied
The veteran's application for Veterans Mortgage Life Insurance (VMLI) was denied because he did not meet the eligibility requirements for a specially adapted housing grant, which is a condition precedent to VMLI.
- Whole decision: Denied
The veteran's claims for service connection for cancer of the lung and brain are denied. The claim is denied as secondary to in-service tobacco use and nicotine addiction, and also because the cancer was not present during or within one year after service.
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