The Board denied entitlement to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) based on a finding of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as there was no evidence that the Veteran's pancreatic cancer was related to his service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found that the Veteran's pancreatic cancer was less likely than not caused by his service-connected kidney cancer or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and there were no other factors linking the cancer to service.
- Claimed conditions
- pancreatic cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 2, 2025
- Citation
- 25006061
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.
- 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.
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