The Board finds that the Veteran's fatal cancer, which was present in multiple areas including his lungs and soft tissues, is at least as likely as not caused by exposure to Agent Orange during service. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
The deciding factor: The VA oncologist concluded that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's fatal cancer was causally related to his military service due to its presence in multiple areas and the possibility of an undifferentiated adenocarcinoma origin, which could be linked to Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- carcinomatosis, undifferentiated adenocarcinoma
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 17, 2015
- Citation
- 1516658
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1516658.
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: Granted
The Veteran's cause of death is determined to be related to service-connected prostate cancer, which was caused by metastasis and resulted in carcinomatosis. The Board finds that the evidence supports granting service connection for the Veteran's cause of death.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by carcinomatosis, which is presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure during service. The claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death has been granted.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by his military service or any of his service-connected conditions, and there is no evidence linking the cause of death to exposure to herbicide agents.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death is denied as there is no evidence to support a service connection for the condition that led to his death, and he did not meet the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
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