The Veteran's death in January 2011 was found to be at least as likely as not related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents, specifically the primary ingredient of Agent Orange. The esophageal cancer that led to his death is considered a service-connected condition due to this exposure.
The deciding factor: The February 2020 private opinion concluded that the Veteran's esophageal cancer was at least as likely as not caused by in-service exposure to herbicide agents, and this conclusion is supported by the medical records and the concept of 'field cancerization'.
- Claimed conditions
- esophageal cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the left true vocal cord
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- April 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20024725
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 20024725.
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 granted service connection for the cause of death due to esophageal cancer, which is presumed to be related to exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's prostate disability. The claims for esophageal cancer and Barrett's esophagus remain denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ committed pre-decisional duty to notify and duty to assist errors in denying the DIC claim for the cause of the Veteran's death. The claim must be remanded to allow the AOJ to make a finding regarding whether the Appellant is considered the surviving spouse, as this is a threshold requirement for DIC benefits.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for esophageal cancer, finding that the Veteran's presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his service near the Korean DMZ more likely than not contributed to the development of the condition.
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