The Board granted service connection for pancreatic cancer, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
The deciding factor: The private medical opinion from Dr. C.K., a Diplomate of the American Board of Radiology and Professor Emeritus of Radiation Oncology at UCLA, was more persuasive than the VA medical opinion, as it provided a clear rationale linking the Veteran's pancreatic cancer to his in-service exposure to chemicals.
- Claimed conditions
- pancreatic cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2024
- Citation
- A24073948
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for pancreatic cancer as there was no evidence of a nexus between the in-service toxic exposure and the current condition.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for pancreatic cancer, finding that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's condition was due to his in-service exposure to toxic and environmental hazards.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for pancreatic cancer due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring further development of evidence related to toxic exposure.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for pancreatic cancer, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran based on evidence suggesting his condition was caused by exposure to herbicide agents during active service.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.