The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for colon and liver cancer, as these conditions are claimed to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD with substance abuse. The Veteran will need to provide a medical opinion explaining the relationship between his cancers and his service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the March 2018 medical opinion was inadequate due to lack of supporting rationale, and ordered the Veteran to submit a revised opinion or be afforded an examination.
- Claimed conditions
- colon cancer, liver cancer
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19149073
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 claim for service connection of colon cancer, claimed as due to exposure to asbestos, for an addendum opinion considering additional evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for colon cancer as the evidence did not support a link between the Veteran's current condition and their in-service toxic exposure risk activity.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the service connection claim for colon cancer to obtain a medical opinion on its etiology, particularly regarding exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the claims.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.