The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his exposure to herbicides in Vietnam and his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II contributed substantially to his pancreatic cancer and subsequent death.
The deciding factor: The private medical opinion provided by a radiation oncologist concluded that the Veteran's exposure to herbicides in Vietnam, combined with his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II, were at least as likely as not both the cause of his pancreatic cancer and the cause of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Pancreatic cancer, Diabetes mellitus type II
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 9, 2022
- Citation
- 22033988
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 22033988.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, basal cell carcinoma, bilateral pseudophakia, dry eye syndrome and blepharitis (bilateral eye conditions), diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and heart condition due to inadequate opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's exposure to asbestos is conceded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, basal cell carcinoma, bilateral pseudophakia, dry eye syndrome and blepharitis (bilateral eye conditions), diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and heart condition due to inadequate opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's exposure to asbestos is conceded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for fibrous dysplasia of sphenoid bone and diabetes mellitus type II due to potential errors in obtaining medical opinions. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered with new evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that none of the listed causes were related to his military service and no service-connected disability contributed to his death.
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