The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to new and material evidence, including a medical opinion linking esophageal cancer to his presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The Board finds that the esophageal cancer is at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's military service.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion provided by Dr. E.A. links the Veteran’s esophageal cancer to his presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam, outweighing the lack of in-service complaints or diagnoses of an esophageal condition.
- Claimed conditions
- esophageal cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2018
- Citation
- 18160856
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 18160856.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death to correct predecisional duty to assist errors, including obtaining additional records and a medical nexus opinion.
- Granted
The Veteran's esophageal cancer is granted service connection due to herbicide exposure during his service in the Republic of Vietnam.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for gastrointestinal cancer other than esophageal cancer and stomach cancer, brain cancer, and prostate cancer. The issues of entitlement to service connection for esophageal cancer, metastatic esophageal cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, and liver cancer were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a left shoulder disability and remanded the claims for service connection for a neck strain, esophageal cancer, and headaches.
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