The Veteran's death was caused by pancreatic cancer, which is not presumed to be due to service exposure. However, the VA will seek a medical opinion to determine if his liver cancer (which is presumed) and/or pancreatic cancer were proximately due to or the result of service.
The deciding factor: The VA failed to provide a medical nexus opinion regarding whether the Veteran's pancreatic cancer was caused by service exposure, which constitutes a failure to assist in the duty to obtain an etiological opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- pancreatic cancer, liver cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 15, 2020
- Citation
- A20018585
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 A20018585.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of liver cancer has been dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not caused by a disability incurred or aggravated in service, and the Board denied the claim for service connection.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for intestinal cancer, liver cancer, and a liver biopsy surgical scar as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected intestinal cancer.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for liver cancer and an increased rating for irritable bowel syndrome has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
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