The veteran died of renal cell carcinoma, which was not caused by or related to any VA medical treatment. The Board finds that the cause of death is not attributable to VA care and thus DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 are denied.
The deciding factor: The proximate cause of the veteran's death was his underlying renal cell carcinoma, which was unrelated to any VA medical treatment or hospitalization.
- Claimed conditions
- Renal cell carcinoma, Postoperative gastrectomy with hiatal hernia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2006
- Citation
- 0634483
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0634483.
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 service connection for the cause of death due to metastatic renal cell carcinoma, finding no evidence linking it to in-service toxic exposures.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, related to his conceded exposure to herbicide agents during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial disability ratings for renal cell carcinoma and painful scars status post partial nephrectomy associated with renal cell carcinoma are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and records.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, and renal cell carcinoma due to herbicide agent exposure as there is no positive association between such exposures and these conditions.
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