The Board has determined that the veteran's death was caused by a malignant thymoma, which is presumed to be related to his service in Vietnam due to exposure to herbicides. As such, the claim for service connection for cause of death is granted.
The deciding factor: The veteran served in Vietnam and was exposed to herbicides during this period. His terminal condition, a malignant thymoma, developed many years after separation from service and is presumed to be related to his exposure to Agent Orange.
- Claimed conditions
- malignant thymoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2005
- Citation
- 0528145
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 0528145.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for cause of death and entitlement to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation due to a duty to assist error related to toxic exposure risk activities (TERA) participation during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for malignant thymoma and for an initial compensable rating for baroreflex failure due to outstanding medical records that need to be obtained.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for malignant thymoma, finding that his condition was at least as likely as not related to his in-service exposure to Agent Orange. The decision is based on a medical opinion provided by the Veteran's private cardiothoracic surgeon.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's malignant thymoma is being remanded for further evaluation due to the need for a medical opinion regarding its etiology, including potential herbicide exposure during service.
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