The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death, metastatic gastroesophageal carcinoma with lung and liver metastases, was not incurred in or aggravated by service. The appellant could not establish exposure to ionizing radiation during service, and there is no evidence linking the cancer to a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the veteran's fatal cancer did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection due to exposure to ionizing radiation in service or as a result of a service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic gastroesophageal carcinoma, lung metastases, liver metastases
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 2, 2001
- Citation
- 0112558
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 0112558.
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: Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma was related to in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to a lack of evidence linking the Veteran's colon cancer, which metastasized to his liver, to his military service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to support a finding that the Veteran's colon cancer was caused by CLCW exposure.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, including his colon/rectum cancer and lung metastases, was caused by exposures to toxic chemicals during service. Service connection for cause of death is granted.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for earlier effective dates for service connection due to conflicting medical opinions and a need for further examination. The Veteran's kidney cancer is presumed related to exposure at Camp Lejeune, but an earlier effective date may be warranted based on specific facts of his case.
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