The Veteran's gastrointestinal stromal tumor is considered service-connected due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's GIST was likely related to his service and the disease is a type of soft-tissue sarcoma which is presumed service-connected for veterans exposed to herbicide agents.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal stromal tumor
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 10, 2022
- Citation
- 22051543
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 22051543.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death, a gastrointestinal stromal tumor, is presumed to be related to in-service exposure to burn pits and other toxins during his service in Southwest Asia during the Persian Gulf War. Service connection for the cause of death is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's gastrointestinal stromal tumor is being remanded for a VA medical opinion to determine if it was caused by in-service herbicide agent exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not presented. The Veteran's claim for a gastrointestinal stromal tumor was also denied due to lack of in-service diagnosis or exposure.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.