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 assigned
- None in this 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1516658.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.