The VA did not find that the veteran's death was caused by any fault on the part of VA in providing care, treatment or examination. The Board found no evidence to support a finding that the veteran's aggressive cancer could have been treated differently if diagnosed earlier.
The deciding factor: The examiner concluded there was no evidence showing VA care contributed to the veteran's death from esophageal carcinoma due to liver metastases.
- Claimed conditions
- esophageal carcinoma, metastases to the liver
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2005
- Citation
- 0531395
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 0531395.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for Barrett's esophagitis, GERD, and esophageal carcinoma based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during active service in Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for TDIU and DEA benefits due to unresolved issues regarding his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work. The case will be referred to the Director, Compensation Service, for consideration of whether a higher effective date is warranted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that a VA opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's esophageal carcinoma was caused by his in-service exposure to Agent Orange.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the DIC benefits claim due to lack of substantial compliance with its March 2022 remand directives. The survivor's pension claim is denied as the Appellant's income exceeds the maximum annual death pension rate.
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