The Veteran's death is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the cause of his death, including whether his esophageal cancer was related to his presumed exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange) during service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner’s opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's esophageal cancer must take into account personal circumstances and how recognized risk factors apply in this specific case.
- Claimed conditions
- esophageal cancer, diabetes mellitus, type 2
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20078312
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 20078312.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has vacated the January 2026 decision granting service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 due to fraudulent evidence. The Veteran's claim is denied as there is no credible evidence linking his diabetes to service or a service-connected condition.
- 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.
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