The Board found that the Veteran's death was caused by metastatic cholangiocarcinoma, which is presumed to be related to his service in Vietnam due to exposure to herbicides. The evidence did not support a direct link between Agent Orange exposure and the development of cholangiocarcinoma.
The deciding factor: The Board relied on an opinion from the AFIP stating that there was inadequate or insufficient evidence to determine whether exposure to dioxins (Agent Orange) was associated with the development of cholangiocarcinoma.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic cholangiocarcinoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2013
- Citation
- 1301261
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 1301261.
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 determined that the VA did not fully develop the claim for all of the Veteran's possible participation in TERA, including unrecorded trips to countries neighboring Vietnam and service with Republic of Korea forces by Navy personnel involved in the Poseidon program. The case is being remanded to obtain this information.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as metastatic cholangiocarcinoma was not shown to be related to his active service.
- Denied
The Board denied payment or reimbursement for non-VA medical care for cancer and hepatic steatosis as a Camp Lejeune family member due to the clinical finding that these conditions did not result from exposure at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's cause of death is linked to his presumed in-service exposure to an herbicide agent such as Agent Orange.
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