The Board denied service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and polyneuropathy in all extremities, finding no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service or a service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a causal relationship between the claimed conditions and the Veteran's military service or any service-connected disability, with the Board placing greater weight on the VA examiner's opinion over the private PA-C's opinion due to the Veteran's extensive history of tobacco use and drinking.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, left upper extremity (LUE) polyneuropathy, right upper extremity (RUE) polyneuropathy, left lower extremity (LLE) polyneuropathy, right lower extremity (RLE) polyneuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 26, 2025
- Citation
- A25055729
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new VA opinion to address whether the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus is related to his service, including exposure to warehouse chemicals and herbicide agents.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's condition and his military service or exposure to contaminants at Camp Lejeune.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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