The Board denied service connection for esophageal carcinoma, finding that the Veteran's current condition did not have its onset during active service and was not caused by his military service.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence showing a causal relationship between the Veteran’s in-service herbicide exposure and his current esophageal carcinoma.
- Claimed conditions
- esophageal carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19128461
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 940 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19128461.
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: Granted
The Board granted service connection for Barrett's esophagitis, GERD, and esophageal carcinoma based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during active service in Vietnam.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for TDIU and DEA benefits due to unresolved issues regarding his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work. The case will be referred to the Director, Compensation Service, for consideration of whether a higher effective date is warranted.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that a VA opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's esophageal carcinoma was caused by his in-service exposure to Agent Orange.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for esophageal carcinoma and related conditions due to new evidence received, including VA examinations and treatment records. The TDIU claim is also being considered.
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