The Board is remanding the case to obtain a copy of Dr. Thomas Smyrk's medical opinion/consultation letter from Mayo Clinic, which was requested by Dr. Romero at Cox Medical Center South. The VA physician will provide opinions on whether lung cancer was the primary site and if so, whether it metastasized from the liver.
The deciding factor: The Board needs to obtain a copy of Dr. Smyrk's medical opinion/consultation letter in order to determine the nature of the Veteran's cancer and its origin.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic undifferentiated carcinoma of the liver
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2011
- Citation
- 1139445
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 1139445.
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
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.