The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and denied DIC benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 due to lack of evidence linking the cancer to service, including exposure to ionizing radiation.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no reasonable possibility that the Veteran's pancreatic cancer was caused by his exposure to ionizing radiation during service and that he did not have any recognized risk factors for developing the disease.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic pancreatic carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 21, 2009
- Citation
- 0935590
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 0935590.
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 the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that there was no evidence linking his pancreatic cancer to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was not due to his own willful misconduct, but the cause of death (metastatic pancreatic carcinoma) is not service-connected. The Board has remanded for a medical opinion on whether exposure to Agent Orange during service may have contributed to the Veteran's cancer.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his presumptive exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam contributed at least partially to his pancreatic cancer.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's cause of death was pneumonia due to metastatic pancreatic carcinoma. The Board found that the service-connected dysthymia substantially contributed to his fall and subdural hematoma, which ultimately led to his death.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.