The Board denied the veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection of stomach cancer, as it was granted secondary to his service-connected PTSD and the earliest possible effective date is the date of service connection for PTSD.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the fact that the Veteran's entitlement to service connection for stomach cancer could not be established prior to the grant of service connection for PTSD, which occurred on September 28, 2010.
- Claimed conditions
- stomach cancer
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 8, 2025
- Citation
- A25041836
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for diabetes, glaucoma, left foot and toe tingling and numbness sensation, left hand and fingers tingling and numbness sensation, right foot and toe tingling and numbness sensation, right hand and fingers tingling and numbness sensation, and stomach cancer as moot.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for gastrointestinal cancer other than esophageal cancer and stomach cancer, brain cancer, and prostate cancer. The issues of entitlement to service connection for esophageal cancer, metastatic esophageal cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, and liver cancer were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for stomach cancer due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including the need to obtain VistA images and an adequate medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter to obtain additional evidence and a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death from stomach cancer is related to his military service, including potential exposures during service in Vietnam and at Camp Lejeune.
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.