The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by or a result of any service-connected disability, including his skin disabilities.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran’s service-connected skin disabilities contributed to his cause of death from metastatic pancreatic cancer. The VA clinician and other experts provided opinions stating there is no known connection between the documented treatment for the service-connected skin disabilities and the development of pancreatic cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- Metastatic pancreatic cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 27, 2017
- Citation
- 1729691
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1729691.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The appeal for entitlement to service connection for the Veteran's cause of death and accrued benefits was denied due to a lack of evidence supporting the claim.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his fatal pancreatic cancer was not caused or aggravated by any service-connected disability.
- Denied
The Board found that the cause of death was metastatic pancreatic cancer, which is not service-connected. The veteran's prostate cancer did not contribute to his death and there is no evidence linking the pancreas cancer to service or Agent Orange exposure. Therefore, service connection for the cause of death is denied, as well as eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance.
- Denied
The Board found that the metastatic pancreatic cancer was not related to military service and did not contribute substantially or materially to cause the veteran's 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.