The Board denied service connection for gastroesophageal cancer, finding that the evidence did not support a direct causal relationship between the Veteran's in-service herbicide exposure and his current condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined it is less likely than not that the Veteran’s gastroesophageal cancer was caused or aggravated by his in-service exposure to herbicides.
- Claimed conditions
- gastroesophageal cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20062845
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 20062845.
What this means for you
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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 gastroesophageal cancer pursuant to the PACT Act, as the Veteran was presumed to have toxic exposures due to his Southwest Asia theater of operations service and diagnosed with the condition during his lifetime.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death, esophageal perforation secondary to gastroesophageal cancer, is found to be related to his in-service exposure to Agent Orange and other environmental factors. Service connection for the cause of death is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's gastroesophageal cancer, which is related to service. The case will be reviewed again with a new examination and opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's TDIU and reduction in the rating for gastroesophageal cancer are remanded due to new evidence suggesting a worsening of his condition.
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