The Veteran's cause of death, metastatic carcinoma of unknown primary, is found to be related to his presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam. The Board grants service connection for the cause of death.
The deciding factor: Service connection is granted based on the presumption of exposure to herbicide agents due to the Veteran's service in Vietnam and the private opinion linking his cancer to such exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic carcinoma of unknown primary
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 26, 2024
- Citation
- A24021554
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 A24021554.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death, finding that his metastatic carcinoma was not related to his military service and that his anemia associated with hemorrhoids did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death was due to metastatic carcinoma, which developed more than one year after his discharge from service and is not etiologically related to service or herbicide exposure.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus contributed to his death, and thus grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by metastatic carcinoma of unknown primary, with coronary artery disease as a significant condition. The appellant contends that the cause of death may be related to service-connected prostate cancer due to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. The Board has ordered additional development including obtaining service personnel records and medical records from private physicians.
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.