The Veteran's prostate cancer, which caused his death, was not service-connected and there is no evidence of exposure to herbicides or other presumed exposures during service.
The deciding factor: Prostate cancer was diagnosed in the setting of apparent exposure to Agent Orange but there is no direct evidence linking it to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Prostate carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 4, 2010
- Citation
- 1005256
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1005256.
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: Granted
The Veteran's cause of death is due to his exposure to hazardous chemicals and ionizing radiation during service, which the Board finds sufficient for direct service connection.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining any form of gainful employment, thus denying entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected as his conditions were not related to his in-service duties or exposure, and there is no evidence of radiation exposure. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection under direct service connection provisions.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's prostate cancer disability had improved and was no longer active, thus reducing his rating from 100% to noncompensable effective January 1, 2014. The claim for restoration of the reduced rating is denied.
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.