The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death and denied his claim for dependents' educational assistance (DEA). The cause of death was attributed to metastatic pancreatic cancer, which is not presumed to be related to military service or exposure to herbicides.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the veteran’s terminal pancreatic cancer was unrelated to an event in service or to Agent Orange exposure. The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's military service to his death from metastatic pancreatic cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic pancreatic cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 18, 2006
- Citation
- 0632491
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding no causal link between his military service and his pancreatic cancer. The Board also found that diabetes mellitus, type II did not cause or aggravate the pancreatic cancer.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death is remanded for further review of his service-connected conditions and potential Agent Orange exposure. The cause of death, metastatic pancreatic cancer, may be related to his service-connected ischemic heart disease or to Agent Orange exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, entitlement to a death pension, and entitlement to burial benefits greater than $300.00 due to incomplete information and need for further medical opinion.
- Denied
The Veteran's death from metastatic pancreatic cancer is not related to his presumed exposure to toxic water at Camp Lejeune or otherwise related to his active duty service.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.