The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death, finding that the Veteran's cancer was not related to his active duty service or Agent Orange exposure.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence showing a direct relationship between the Veteran's cancer and his military service or exposure to herbicides.
- Claimed conditions
- terminal pneumonia, abdominal carcinomatosis, carcinoma of the colon, adenocarcinoma of an unknown site
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 27, 2012
- Citation
- 1233673
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 1233673.
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: Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for carcinoma of the colon was dismissed due to a late filing.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death is not related to service, and the appellant is not recognized as his surviving spouse for death pension purposes.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death, sepsis, was not related to in-service exposure to herbicide agents.,The service-connected diabetes mellitus did not contribute substantially or materially to the Veteran's death from sepsis.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death, abdominal carcinomatosis, is not service-connected due to the lack of evidence linking it to his presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service.
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.