The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate analysis and need for a VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service, specifically his presumed herbicide exposure (including Agent Orange), and his death. The appellant contends that the Veteran died from lung cancer rather than metastatic adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.
The deciding factor: The Board found there is nothing in service for a medical professional to consider a possible starting point for a service-association etiology, but did not address the Veteran's presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam or explain why such exposure could not be the 'starting point' for a medical opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic adenocarcinoma of the esophagus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 9, 2016
- Citation
- 1646357
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 1646357.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to metastatic adenocarcinoma, finding that it is causally related to his in-service reflux esophagitis, duodenal ulcer, and hiatal hernia.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the veteran's death was caused by metastatic adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, which is service-connected. The appellant is therefore granted service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and established as eligible for Dependents' Educational Assistance under Chapter 35.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking the esophageal cancer to his military service or exposure to Agent Orange.
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