The Veteran's cause of death was due to metastatic cancer, presumed to be related to his service exposure to Agent Orange. Claims for service connection for poorly differentiated carcinoma involving the liver, ribs, right hip and spine were pending at the time of his death but not supported by evidence in the file.
The deciding factor: The VHA opinion found that lung cancer was a potential source of the Veteran's undifferentiated carcinoma, which is associated with Agent Orange exposure. However, other possible sources listed in pathology reports make it unclear whether this cancer could be related to military service.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2016
- Citation
- 1618756
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 1618756.
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 insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's throat cancer, which was caused by asbestos exposure in service, led to his fatal metastatic cancer. The VA is instructed to obtain a new VA opinion addressing these theories.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death prior to a decision being made.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by metastatic cancer and transitional cell cancer of the bladder, which are presumed to be due to exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Guam. The Board granted service connection for the cause of death based on this presumption.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's cause of death and his exposure claims. The VA will need to verify the Veteran's service in Vietnam, assess asbestos exposure, and provide a medical opinion on whether any of these exposures contributed to the Veteran's death.
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