The Veteran's left radical nephrectomy is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of his renal cell carcinoma.
The deciding factor: An addendum opinion from an appropriate clinician is needed to determine if Tramadol and Gabapentin used for service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated the Veteran's renal cell carcinoma.
- Claimed conditions
- Renal cell carcinoma, Left radical nephrectomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19148240
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 service connection for the cause of death due to metastatic renal cell carcinoma, finding no evidence linking it to in-service toxic exposures.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, related to his conceded exposure to herbicide agents during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial disability ratings for renal cell carcinoma and painful scars status post partial nephrectomy associated with renal cell carcinoma are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and records.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, and renal cell carcinoma due to herbicide agent exposure as there is no positive association between such exposures and these conditions.
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