The Veteran died from metastatic carcinoma of the esophagus, which was not service-connected. The Board found that there is no evidence linking the esophageal cancer to his military service or exposure to herbicides.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence linking the cause of death (metastatic carcinoma of the esophagus) to the Veteran's military service or exposure to herbicides, and the claim was denied based on lack of a link between the condition and service.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic carcinoma of the esophagus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2015
- Citation
- 1542479
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 1542479.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and DIC benefits due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by esophageal cancer, which the VA does not consider to be related to his presumed in-service herbicide exposure. The case is being remanded for further development.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and a VA medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's esophageal cancer was not manifested during service or due to any other service-related incident, including exposure to herbicides. The cause of death listed on his certificate is metastatic carcinoma of the esophagus.
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.