The Board has ordered a remand to obtain the Veteran's hospital records and to provide an opinion regarding whether his death was caused by service-connected conditions or due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The cause of death is unclear, as the immediate cause listed on the death certificate does not match the underlying condition that led to it. The Board has ordered a remand to clarify this issue and determine if the Veteran's death was related to his service or due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- nasopharyngeal carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2015
- Citation
- 1553817
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 1553817.
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: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death due to recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to exposure to herbicides in service, including Agent Orange.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of August 10, 2022, for the award of service connection for nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on the Veteran's claim being filed within one year of the PACT Act's passage.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board denied a compensable rating for papillary thyroid carcinoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but granted service connection for vocal cord paralysis and odynophagia as additional residual disabilities due to the service-connected nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of mouth trauma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma are remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and medical opinions.
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