The Veteran's death was due to cardiopulmonary arrest secondary to liver metastasis from gastroesophageal junction cancer, which is not service-connected as the condition did not manifest during or within one year of his active duty. The Board denied presumptive service connection for ischemic heart disease and spontaneous pneumothorax.
The deciding factor: The primary cause of death was due to liver metastases from gastroesophageal junction cancer, which is not a listed chronic disease under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(a) or presumptive disease under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(e).
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer, Liver Metastasis, Cardiopulmonary Arrest
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 25, 2022
- Citation
- 22011037
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 22011037.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for survivor's pension, accrued benefits, and dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to the appellant's countable income exceeding the applicable maximum annual pension rates and the Veteran not having any unpaid VA benefits or claims pending at the time of his death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's in-service hypercholesteremia is causally related to his cardiopulmonary arrest and subsequent death. The VA will seek a medical opinion on this issue.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be related to his service-connected PTSD, which contributed to the sepsis caused by untreated dental issues. The Board granted service connection for the cause of death and denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's death and his service, including his reported high cholesterol. The appellant is advised to assist VA in obtaining relevant treatment records from Jackson Hospital and Clinic and Maxwell Air Force Base.
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