The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death. The service-connected disability is considered to have hindered the veteran's ability to recuperate from postoperative esophageal cancer, contributing to his debilitated state prior to death.
The deciding factor: The VA physician concluded that the service-connected disability had no influence on the veteran's chances of survival but noted its impact on his ability to receive aggressive therapy for his far-advanced cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- Esophageal cancer
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 20, 2000
- Citation
- 0019022
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 0019022.
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 the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence linking his esophageal cancer to his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a new medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically to address whether his esophageal cancer is related to his exposure to Camp Lejeune contaminated water.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically prostate cancer, and accrued benefits based on a pending claim for esophageal cancer due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for arthritis of multiple joints, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, and urethral cancer due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's service or exposure at Camp Lejeune.
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