The Board denied the claim as there is no medical evidence linking the veteran's death to herbicide exposure or any service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: There was no direct causal link between the veteran's squamous cell cancer and his period of active service, nor could it be presumed due to Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- widespread squamous cell cancer, cardiorespiratory failure
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 21, 2000
- Citation
- 0025216
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 0025216.
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 Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's causes of death to service or a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of the Veteran's cause of death, to include cardiorespiratory failure and stomach cancer, due to a duty to assist error in not ensuring an adequate medical opinion was obtained.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death, cardiorespiratory failure and COVID-19 pneumonia, is not etiologically related to his service or any exposure during service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found pre-decisional duty to assist errors and remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for cause of death, DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318, and DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to insufficient information in the record.
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