The Veteran's cause of death is remanded for further medical opinions to determine if his MDS contributed to his death and if his nasopharyngeal cancer/maxillary sinus cancer was related to service, including exposure to burn pits.
The deciding factor: Further medical evaluation is needed to assess the relationship between the Veteran's conditions and service as well as their contribution to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), nasopharyngeal cancer, maxillary sinus cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19124255
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 Board remands the matter for a VA medical opinion to determine the likely etiology of the Veteran's nasopharyngeal cancer, including whether it is related to his service or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal for a new VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's MDS and potential AML and b-cell leukemia due to inadequacies in previous opinions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), to include anaplastic anemia, due to toxic exposure at Fort McClellan.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for nasopharyngeal cancer, finding that the Veteran's condition is related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.