The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to breast cancer, finding that her PTSD did not play a material causal role in her death. The Board also found no evidence linking her service-connected PTSD to her cardiorespiratory failure or breast cancer.
The deciding factor: PTSD was rated as 100% disabling prior to the Veteran's death but there is no evidence showing that it prevented her from seeking treatment for her breast cancer in a timely manner.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic breast cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19101832
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 was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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