The Board found that there was no direct evidence showing that the Veteran's malignant hepatocellular carcinoma, which caused his death, either began during or was otherwise caused by his military service. The appellant argued for presumptive service connection based on Agent Orange exposure, but this was not applicable as malignant hepatocellular carcinoma is not a disease covered under the presumption.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's malignant hepatocellular carcinoma did not have any record of being incurred during or aggravated by service and there was no evidence linking it to herbicide exposure. The cause of death was deemed unrelated to service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- malignant hepatocellular carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 11, 2012
- Citation
- 1217011
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 1217011.
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).
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