The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to esophageal cancer, which is presumed to be related to his exposure to Agent Orange during service in Vietnam. The DIC claim under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 was withdrawn by the appellant.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was in equipoise regarding whether the esophageal cancer, which caused the Veteran's death, was related to his presumed Agent Orange exposure during service in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 11, 2014
- Citation
- 1409815
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1409815.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and polyneuropathy in all extremities, finding no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service or a service-connected condition.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new VA opinion to address whether the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus is related to his service, including exposure to warehouse chemicals and herbicide agents.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's condition and his military service or exposure to contaminants at Camp Lejeune.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in addressing the duration of service at Camp Lejeune and missing VA treatment records. The appellant's squamous cell carcinoma is being considered for service connection based on exposure to contaminated water.
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