The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death, metastatic esophageal carcinoma, was not caused by his service or any related condition. The appellant claimed exposure to Agent Orange during service contributed to the cancer, but the Board determined this claim could not be substantiated due to lack of evidence and because the Secretary has not specifically determined a presumption of service connection for esophageal cancer.
The deciding factor: The cause of death was metastatic esophageal carcinoma, which is not among the diseases recognized as related to Agent Orange exposure. The appellant's claim could not be substantiated due to lack of evidence and because the Secretary has not specifically determined a presumption of service connection for esophageal cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic esophageal carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2006
- Citation
- 0611039
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 0611039.
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.
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The Board granted service connection for the cause of death due to metastatic esophageal carcinoma, finding that it was likely caused by exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam.
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- Dismissed
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