The Veteran's cause of death due to metastatic gastric carcinoma was denied as there is no evidence linking the condition to his service, including presumed exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence establishing a link between the Veteran’s metastatic gastric cancer and his active service or presumed exposure to herbicide agents.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic gastric carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19148930
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected cancer, which is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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.