The Veteran's cause of death was metastatic breast cancer, which is not service-connected. The Veteran did not have any pending claims at the time of his death and was in receipt of non-service-connected pension benefits. The Board found that there is no evidence linking the Veteran’s breast cancer to his military service or exposure to herbicides. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of death was denied. For the death pension claim, the appellant's income exceeded the maximum allowable pension rate (MAPR).
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran’s breast cancer was caused or contributed to by his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic breast cancer
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 7, 2018
- Citation
- 18109316
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 18109316.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was listed as metastatic breast cancer. The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding that this condition is related to service, including exposure to herbicide agents like Agent Orange.
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.