The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to lack of evidence linking his lung cancer to active military service, and because he did not serve in Vietnam or have exposure to Agent Orange.
The deciding factor: The Veteran died from small cell carcinoma of the lung but there was no credible evidence linking this condition to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- small cell carcinoma of the lung
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2012
- Citation
- 1235518
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 1235518.
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 Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to herbicide exposure during his active service in Vietnam.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA opinions obtained on remand are deficient and requires additional clarification regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right arm intention tremor. The claim is therefore being returned to obtain further medical opinions.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lung cancer on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicide agents while serving in the territorial waters of Vietnam.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The Board therefore denies the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
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