The veteran died of cancer, and the VA is remanding the case to determine if his asbestos exposure contributed to his death.
The deciding factor: The VA needs to review the medical records to determine if there was a relationship between asbestos exposure and the cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy, metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 13, 2003
- Citation
- 0320057
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 0320057.
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 Veteran's cause of death was metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma, which is presumed to be related to his exposure to herbicides during service in Vietnam. The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected metastatic lung cancer contributed substantially or materially to his death.,Entitlement to DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 was dismissed as moot due to the grant of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's cause of death.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to uremia, retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy and metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma. The claim for accrued benefits based on a claim for cancer submitted by the veteran was also denied.
- Denied
The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by his exposure to asbestos during service, and therefore denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.
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.