The Board has remanded the claims for service connection, secondary service connection, and DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need for additional medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's gastro cancer may be related to his in-service experience of entering a burning building and inhaling smoke, or it could be secondary to service-connected PTSD with depressive disorder and alcohol abuse in sustained remission. The Board needs further clarification from the appellant on whether she wishes to proceed as a substitute claimant for accrued benefits purposes.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastric cancer
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2018
- Citation
- 18139697
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18139697.
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 granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his gastric cancer was at least as likely as not related to in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing it to gastric cancer that was linked to Agent Orange exposure during his military service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for cause of death due to gastric cancer, as a new medical opinion is required to address toxic exposures other than Agent Orange.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by his in-service asbestos exposure, leading to gastric cancer. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
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