The Veteran's death was not caused or substantially contributed to by a service-connected disability. The cause of death, carcinoma of unknown primary site (poorly differentiated papillary carcinoma), was not related to his military service.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence linking the Veteran’s cause of death to any service-connected condition and no indication that he died from an illness associated with herbicide exposure in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- carcinoma of unknown primary site (poorly differentiated papillary carcinoma (liver, adrenal, scapula)), acute renal failure, hematemesis, portal hypertension, chronic liver disease, liver cirrhosis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2010
- Citation
- 1040127
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 1040127.
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 entitlement to service connection for the cause of death, finding that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not contribute to his death.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection and rating issues related to various conditions, including obesity, chronic renal dysfunction/kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, Grave's disease, chronic liver disease, TMJ disorder, sleep apnea, back pain, dermatographic urticaria residuals from anthrax vaccine, and hemorrhoids.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands all claims for service connection for various conditions secondary to hemochromatosis due to the need for additional development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, considering potential in-service toxic exposure.
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.