The Veteran's cause of death was listed as pneumonia due to or as a consequence of complications of metastatic cancer (involving neck and lungs). The Board finds that remand is warranted in order to verify the Veteran's service in the Republic of Vietnam, determine if his cancer was related to active duty, and attempt to determine the primary form of cancer.
The deciding factor: The Board found a reasonable possibility exists that the Veteran's cause of death may be related to his active duty due to presumed exposure to herbicides in the Republic of Vietnam. The remand is necessary to verify service in the relevant period and obtain medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's death and his active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic esophageal/oropharyngeal cancer, pneumonia
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2015
- Citation
- 1515268
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1515268.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for pneumonia, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and asthma as causes of death. The evidence did not support finding that these conditions were related to his service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and pneumonia due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Veteran's current diagnoses are not supported by the medical records provided.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that there was no evidence linking any of the immediate or contributing causes of his death to his period of active duty service. The Board also found that the PACT Act did not apply in this case as the Veteran served prior to the period when herbicide agents were presumed used.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle disability, chronic sinusitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia are remanded due to the need for additional development including VA examinations.
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