The Board has reopened the appellant's claim for service connection for the veteran's cause of death due to new and material evidence submitted, including a medical opinion linking the veteran's esophageal cancer to his in-service gastrointestinal issues.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion provided suggests that the veteran's ultimately fatal carcinoma may have been due to an injury or disease incurred during service.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic and esophageal cancers, hepatic failure
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 14, 2000
- Citation
- 0024553
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 0024553.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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 cause of death was not caused by a disability incurred or aggravated in service, and the Board denied the claim for service connection.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's cause of death was respiratory failure caused by hepatic failure, hepatocellular cancer, and chronic hepatitis C infection.,Service connection for the cause of death is granted as his alcohol and substance abuse were secondary to his service-connected PTSD.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to insufficient evidence and a need for additional medical opinions. The Appellant requested to withdraw other claims, which have been dismissed.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death due to lack of evidence showing a link between in-service exposure and the Veteran's liver cancer, which was diagnosed after his military service.
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