The Board is remanding the case for further development to determine if the veteran was exposed to Agent Orange and to clarify the primary site of his fatal cancer.
The deciding factor: Further clarification on the primary origin(s) of the metastatic cancer that caused the veteran's death is needed.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic adenocarcinoma, squamous cell cancer of the head and neck
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 22, 2006
- Citation
- 0604972
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,500 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0604972.
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 the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his exposure to asbestos during active duty was a contributing factor.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the claim for service connection for cause of death to consider new evidence regarding coronary artery disease and hypertension as potential causes of death.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's metastatic adenocarcinoma is related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents, including Agent Orange. As a result, service connection for this condition is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received since the August 2009 rating decision, warranting readjudication of the previously denied claim for service connection for squamous cell cancer of the head and neck. The case is being remanded to allow for further examination and consideration.
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.