The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her husband's death and for burial benefits at an increased rate due to a service-connected cause of death. The Board found that there was no evidence establishing a nexus between the veteran's adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction and his military service, particularly given the limited exposure to Agent Orange he experienced.
The deciding factor: The VA did not find sufficient medical evidence linking the veteran's cancer to his military service or specifically to his exposure to Agent Orange.
- Claimed conditions
- terminal brain carcinoma, leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, adenocarcinoma of esophagus
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 30, 2008
- Citation
- 0833686
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 0833686.
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 has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service or any related exposure.
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