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 assigned
- None in this 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 22011037.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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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