The Board denied the appellant's claim that her husband's death was caused by or substantially contributed to by a disability of service origin, including exposure to Agent Orange. The VA physician stated that the brain tumor and chordoma were not service-connected.
The deciding factor: The VA physician explained that the brain tumor (probable glioma) is specifically excluded from a presumption of service connection for Agent Orange exposure, and the soft-tissue sarcoma associated with Agent Orange exposure is rare in individuals of the veteran's age at death.
- Claimed conditions
- brain tumor (probable glioma), chordoma of the sacral area
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 9, 2003
- Citation
- 0326963
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 0326963.
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
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