The Veteran's death from metastatic renal carcinoma was not proximately caused by VA treatment, including any delay in diagnosing the condition.
The deciding factor: VA medical opinions concluded that the July 2007 left radical nephrectomy did not cause or hasten the Veteran's death and that there was no evidence to suggest that the delay of therapy would have changed the overall outcome.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic renal carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2015
- Citation
- 1552628
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 1552628.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a need for a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death, metastatic renal carcinoma, is related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected renal cancer, pulmonary embolism, and associated scars are granted effective February 19, 2017. The Veteran was exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during his military service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death and service-connected conditions are related. The focus is on determining if the metastatic renal carcinoma was caused by Agent Orange exposure, if chronic renal failure aggravated diabetes mellitus, and if these conditions contributed to the Veteran's overall health.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, metastatic renal carcinoma, was not caused or contributed to by a service-connected disability and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.
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.