The Veteran's cause of death, metastatic adenocarcinoma of unknown primary, is not service connected as it did not manifest during or within one year after his military service and there is no evidence linking the cancer to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The VA opinion found that the Veteran’s cancer was not related to his presumed in-service herbicide exposure or otherwise to service. The cause of death also did not manifest within one year from the date of separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic adenocarcinoma of unknown primary
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 2, 2018
- Citation
- 18147032
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 18147032.
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 inadequate development, and a new VA opinion is needed regarding the cause of death.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his metastatic adenocarcinoma was likely due to a primary lung cancer, which is presumed to be related to his exposure to herbicide agents during service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and his DIC benefits claim under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is denied due to the lack of continuous total disability rating for at least five years prior to death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's metastatic adenocarcinoma and his periods of active service, as well as whether it was proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected malaria.
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