The Veteran's cause of death was due to metastatic colon cancer, renal cancer, and lung metastasis. The Appellant seeks service connection for the cause of her husband's death based on exposure to herbicides during his active duty in Vietnam. However, the RO denied this claim as the presence aboard USS Mauna Loa did not constitute service in Vietnam for purposes of the presumption of herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Appellant's claim was impacted by recent developments and changes to VA criteria regarding herbicide exposure in bodies of water along the coast of Vietnam, necessitating reconsideration by VBA.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic colon cancer, renal cancer, lung metastasis
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 28, 2015
- Citation
- 1541868
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 1541868.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death was metastatic colon cancer, but the appellant contends it was caused by exposure to ionizing radiation during his service as an X-ray technician. The case is remanded for further development regarding dose estimation and consideration under VA regulations.
- 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 cause of death is remanded due to insufficient service connection for the cause of his death, kidney cancer. The DIC claim is also remanded as it is contingent upon a finding of service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between his service-connected conditions and his death. The Board requests a medical opinion on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's cause of death.
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