The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death, metastatic small cell carcinoma, was not caused or contributed substantially to his death by any disability incurred in service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not demonstrate a relationship between the cause of the veteran's death and any disability related to his period of military service.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic small cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 5, 2003
- Citation
- 0322970
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 0322970.
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 Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, as there was no evidence to support a finding that his cardiopulmonary arrest, metastatic brain disease, or metastatic small cell carcinoma were related to his active duty service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board finds that the Veteran's death from metastatic small cell carcinoma was caused by his service-connected lung cancer, which is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The appellant's claim for service connection for cause of death is granted.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for metastatic small cell carcinoma, basal cell cancer, and squamous cell skin cancer in situ as a result of exposure to ionizing radiation. The cancers were not found to be related to his military service.
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