The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to esophageal cancer, finding that there was no evidence linking the cancer to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam or any other service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that cancer of the esophagus is not among the diseases entitled to presumptive service connection as a result of exposure to Agent Orange. There was also no medical evidence presented by the appellant linking the fatal cancer to Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- esophageal cancer
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 15, 2000
- Citation
- 0032784
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 0032784.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death to correct predecisional duty to assist errors, including obtaining additional records and a medical nexus opinion.
- Granted
The Veteran's esophageal cancer is granted service connection due to herbicide exposure during his service in the Republic of Vietnam.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for gastrointestinal cancer other than esophageal cancer and stomach cancer, brain cancer, and prostate cancer. The issues of entitlement to service connection for esophageal cancer, metastatic esophageal cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, and liver cancer were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a left shoulder disability and remanded the claims for service connection for a neck strain, esophageal cancer, and headaches.
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