The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to bile duct and esophageal cancers, which are presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure during his service in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran’s bile duct and esophageal cancers were related to in-service exposures in Vietnam or other factors.
- Claimed conditions
- cholangiocarcinoma, adenocarcinoma of the esophagus
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19182999
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,934 · Granted: 41% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19182999.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's cholangiocarcinoma is related to his military service, specifically exposure to Agent Orange during service in Vietnam. After considering all evidence and resolving all doubts in favor of the Veteran, the Board granted service connection for cholangiocarcinoma.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death is due to cholangiocarcinoma, which was diagnosed in 1988 and presumed to be caused by herbicide exposure during service. The appellant filed a DIC application on November 27, 1989, and the claim was granted with an effective date of November 27, 1989.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for colitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and cholangiocarcinoma as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected vitiligo.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for cholangiocarcinoma and has remanded the service connection claim for further development.
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.