To date esophageal cancer has not been added to the presumptive list..I'm sorry.
I've been battling the VA for DIC benefits as my husband, a Marine in Viet Nam, died from EC. I am now in the appeals process. I submitted 6 doctors letters with no luck. You have to have more than "atleast as likely". Your doctor has to be specific and most doctors are not willing to do this.
There are a group of EC widows that pass info back and forth. Three of our group have been approved, one with the help of her congressman, Dr. Kagen. It's really all in who you know and who will come forward for you.
If you go the the VA website and check the appeals section..key in esophageal, you will find a few approved cases and hundreds of denied cases. I KNOW that my husbands ec was from Agent's used in Vietnam but have no proof. The IOM is taking a second look at EC now and not lumping it with other gastric cancers....that might be a plus for us who are trying to get compensation.
I still think that that is power in numbers and if enough of us whose spouses have EC or have died from EC unite that maybe we can get this ungodly cancer on the presumtive list.
Feel free to contact me..my heart goes out to all of you who are still fighting this disease.