The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his in-service asbestos exposure and his later-developed lung cancer. The Board also noted that the Veteran had a history of tobacco use, which contributed to his lung cancer.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided by VA examiners were more probative than the Appellant's contentions regarding service connection for the cause of death due to in-service asbestos exposure and tobacco use.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coronary artery disease (CAD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2017
- Citation
- 1747859
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 1747859.
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
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- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection and TDIU are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his coronary artery disease.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer, coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus type II (DM II), hypertension, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to service-connected DM II. The Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange during active service is presumed.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
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