The Board found that the veteran's cause of death, cancer of the pharynx and esophagus, was not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing a connection between his exposure to herbicides in Vietnam and his fatal cancer.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there is no medical evidence suggesting a relationship between the veteran's fatal carcinoma and his service or any specific exposure, including herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- cancer of the pharynx, carcinoma of the esophagus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 21, 2000
- Citation
- 0022144
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0022144.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability. The Board found no evidence of the Veteran's carcinoma of the esophagus during his military service or within one year after discharge, and thus denied DIC benefits based on service connection for cause of death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new medical opinion is needed regarding the Veteran's cause of death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to issues with obtaining an independent medical opinion and further review of the claims file.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for service-connected compensation was denied, and the appellant is not a dependent child of the Veteran. Therefore, she cannot receive accrued benefits.
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