The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused or substantially contributed to by any service-connected disability, including breast cancer which did not manifest in service and was unrelated to service. The contributing causes of death were listed as metastatic breast cancer, urosepsis, massive bilateral pleural effusions, and invasive ductal cell carcinoma of the left breast with evidence of bony metastases.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was insufficient credible evidence to establish exposure to asbestos in service or a connection between any service-connected disability and the Veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic breast cancer, urosepsis, massive bilateral pleural effusions, invasive ductal cell carcinoma of the left breast
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 16, 2015
- Citation
- 1530489
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1530489.
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 has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. No service connection decisions have been made for any of the listed conditions.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death, metastatic breast cancer, is not related to his service or exposure to herbicide agents. The Board denied the claim for service connection.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, metastatic breast cancer, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to in-service herbicide exposure. The Board also found that the evidence did not support a link between the Veteran's exposure to carcinogens/dioxins and his manifestation of breast cancer many years after service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by his military service, including exposure to herbicide agents. The cause of death is attributed to rectal cancer with lung metastasis and associated complications.
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