The Board has remanded the case due to a need for further medical evaluation regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death was related to his presumed exposure to Agent Orange during service.
The deciding factor: Further medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran’s fatal metastatic adenocarcinoma (from the esophageal junction) is a form of soft-tissue sarcoma or if it had its onset during service, including as due to Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic adenocarcinoma (from the esophageal junction)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 24, 2018
- Citation
- 18129361
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 18129361.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there is no evidence linking his metastatic adenocarcinoma and anemia to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's metastatic adenocarcinoma was directly linked to his presumed in-service exposure to herbicides. The VA examiner needs to provide a detailed opinion addressing the specific facts of the Veteran's case, including his in-service treatment for gastroenteritis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a need for a VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's metastatic adenocarcinoma (from the esophageal junction) was directly linked to his presumed in-service exposure to herbicides.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's esophageal cancer and his presumed exposure to herbicides during service.
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