The Veteran died of pancytopenia due to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which is not a disease subject to presumptive service connection. However, the death certificate was incorrect and the cause was actually non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The claim will be remanded for further review including obtaining complete personnel records and verifying Vietnam service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's death certificate incorrectly stated that he died of pancytopenia due to acute myelogenous leukemia, which is not a disease subject to presumptive service connection under the herbicide exposure provisions. The actual cause was non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, for which there is no presumption.
- Claimed conditions
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Pancytopenia
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 8, 2010
- Citation
- 1008541
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 1008541.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for traumatic brain injury and remanded claims for diabetes mellitus type II, Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and pancreatic cancer. Service connection was granted for left hip pain.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for non-hodgkin's lymphoma, which is presumed to have been incurred during the Veteran's service at Camp Lejeune.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, skin cancer, a prostate disorder, and a bladder disorder due to the lack of competent evidence supporting these claims.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and compensation pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the same condition, finding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's current condition to his military service or any VA treatment.
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