The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his metastatic adenocarcinoma was likely due to a primary lung cancer, which is presumed to be related to his exposure to herbicide agents during service.
The deciding factor: The Board found the evidence at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran’s metastatic adenocarcinoma had its origin in a primary lung lesion, which is presumptively related to his in-service herbicide agent exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic adenocarcinoma of unknown primary
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20047433
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 20047433.
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 has remanded the case due to inadequate development, and a new VA opinion is needed regarding the cause of death.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and his DIC benefits claim under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is denied due to the lack of continuous total disability rating for at least five years prior to death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's metastatic adenocarcinoma and his periods of active service, as well as whether it was proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected malaria.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death, metastatic adenocarcinoma of unknown primary, is not service connected as it did not manifest during or within one year after his military service and there is no evidence linking the cancer to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.
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