The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's tonsillar cancer was related to Agent Orange exposure during service.
The deciding factor: The VA physician's October 2012 opinion did not address the appellant's contentions that the Veteran's tonsillar cancer was related to Agent Orange exposure, and an additional VA medical opinion is needed.
- Claimed conditions
- neutropenia, metastatic squamous cell cancer, bilateral pneumonia
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2015
- Citation
- 1511461
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 1511461.
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 determined to be related to service-connected conditions, specifically metastatic colon cancer and coronary artery disease. The Board granted the claim for service connection based on the evidence provided.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a blood/bone marrow disorder, including myelodysplastic syndrome, leukopenia, and neutropenia, is being remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The Board acknowledges that the Veteran was exposed to Agent Orange during his military service in Vietnam.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for neutropenia was denied, while the issue of service connection for gastritis is remanded.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal due to an improper concurrent election of review options.
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