The Veteran died from head and neck cancer. The Board found that his service-connected varicose veins did not cause or contribute to his death, as the surgery was not done for reasons unrelated to his varicose veins.
The deciding factor: The private and VA medical evidence established that the salvage surgery for cancer was not done for reasons unrelated to the Veteran's service-connected varicose veins.
- Claimed conditions
- head and neck carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 26, 2014
- Citation
- 1429075
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 1429075.
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: Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his head and neck cancer was not incurred during service or related to active duty service, including in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied the appellant's claims for service connection and an increased rating for PTSD for purposes of accrued benefits due to insufficient evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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