The Veteran died from hepatocellular cancer, but the VA determined that his service did not cause or contribute to this condition. The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's in-service symptoms to his later diagnosis of hepatocellular cancer.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a link between the Veteran's in-service symptoms and his later diagnosis of hepatocellular cancer, nor is there any evidence that his exposure to herbicide agents or jet fuels caused his condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Hepatocellular cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20071740
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his hepatocellular cancer is related to his exposure to Agent Orange during service. The Board also found that all reasonable doubt should be resolved in favor of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his death was not due to a service-connected disability and that medications taken for his service-connected conditions did not contribute to his liver disease.
- 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.
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