The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death was not related to his in-service exposure to mustard gas, either on a presumptive basis or otherwise.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not establish a link between the Veteran's service-connected mustard gas exposure and his subsequent development of esophageal cancer and liver metastasis with bladder tumor.
- Claimed conditions
- Carcinoma of the esophagus, Liver metastasis, Tumor of the bladder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 30, 2009
- Citation
- 0911685
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 0911685.
What this means for you
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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 bladder cancer, which caused his death in January 2016, is related to his exposure to chemicals during service at missile launch sites. As a result, the claim for service connection for cause of death is granted.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for cause of the Veteran’s death has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew her appeal.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was due to adenocarcinoma of the cecum and liver metastasis, which is not service-connected. The VA examiner found no evidence that herbicide exposure caused or contributed to these conditions.
- Granted
The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's metastasized liver cancer was related to his military service, specifically due to exposure to herbicides during his time in Vietnam. The cause of death was attributed to hepatorenal syndrome from multiple metastases.
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