The Veteran's kidney loss due to renal cell cancer is not considered a result of VA care, and the Board finds that there was no fault on the part of VA. The claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is denied.
The deciding factor: The March 2004 CT scan noted a small punctuate calculus in the left kidney, but further treatment or evaluation was not recommended by VA. The Veteran's nephrectomy was performed with informed consent and there were no complications. The Board found that the loss of the left kidney due to renal cell cancer was not caused by VA care.
- Claimed conditions
- Renal Cell Cancer, Left Kidney
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2019
- Citation
- 19188235
Veterans Law Judge
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19188235.
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 determined that there are pre-decisional duty to assist omissions and the case is remanded for further development.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, metastatic lung cancer due to renal cell carcinoma with metastasis to bone and lung, was not caused or contributed substantially or materially by his military service. The evidence did not establish a medical relationship between the Veteran's cancer and his time in service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board determined that the Veteran's renal cell cancer did not arise from his service-connected prostate cancer or exposure to Agent Orange. The cause of death was deemed unrelated to any service-connected condition.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board finds that the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus did not substantially or materially contribute to his death from renal cell cancer, and thus does not warrant service connection for the cause of death.
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