The Board is remanding the case to determine if the veteran's lung cancer, which caused his death, was a result of exposure to Agent Orange during service.
The deciding factor: The claim will be reconsidered after obtaining a medical opinion on whether the lung cancer developed within 30 years of the last exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma of lung, epidermoid lung carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 15, 2001
- Citation
- 0116378
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 0116378.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for malignant melanoma as due to UV exposure and sinonasal skull base poorly differentiated carcinoma as due to chemical exposures of TCE, benzene, and asbestos.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for malignant melanoma and sinonasal skull base poorly differentiated carcinoma due to herbicide exposure, as VA opinions regarding their etiology are needed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for malignant melanoma to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically to obtain a medical opinion that considers all in-service toxic exposures.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for malignant melanoma and a scar on the right temple, denied an increased rating for PTSD, and granted TDIU.
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