The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and the service-connected disabilities did not contribute to his death. The Board found that there is no evidence linking pancreatic or rectal cancer to military service.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence establishing a link between the Veteran’s pancreatic and rectal cancers and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Pancreatic Cancer, Diabetic Nephropathy, Peripheral Vascular Disease of the Left Lower Extremity, Peripheral Vascular Disease of the Right Lower Extremity, Left Shoulder Disability, Degenerative Arthritis of the Left Ankle and Foot, Diabetes Mellitus with Cataracts, Degenerative Arthritis of the Right Elbow, Degenerative Arthritis of the Left Knee, Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20029631
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 20029631.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities are remanded. The claim for sleep disorder (claimed as sleep apnea) remains denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date before April 1, 2018 for a 20% rating for left shoulder disability was denied. The appeal also resulted in the assignment of a 20% rating from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2018, and a TDIU granted from April 1, 2018 to September 3, 2025.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, finding insufficient evidence to establish an in-service event or injury related to his shoulders. The Veteran's current shoulder conditions are not linked to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his claims of service connection for PTSD, a rating increase for PTSD, and service connection for pancreatic cancer secondary to diabetes.
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