The Board found that the cause of death, esophageal adenocarcinoma, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and a service-connected disability did not substantially or materially contribute to cause his death.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion supported the conclusion that the veteran's esophageal cancer was not related to his service-connected prostate cancer and thus did not constitute a contributory cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Esophageal adenocarcinoma, Prostate adenocarcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 29, 2004
- Citation
- 0431559
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 0431559.
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 has granted the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of prostate cancer due to VA's failure to notify him of his April 17, 2008, elevated PSA test results and its failure to timely diagnose and properly treat his disease.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by his prostate cancer, which is presumed to have been due to exposure to herbicide agents during service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical records and a review of the cause of death. The Veteran's service-connected prostate adenocarcinoma is considered, but the exact role in his death remains unclear.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's surviving spouse is entitled to an enhanced rate of VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits due to the Veteran being in receipt of a service-connected disability rated totally disabling for over 24 years at the time of his death.
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