The Veteran's kidney cancer is being remanded for a medical opinion to determine if it is at least as likely as not related to herbicide exposure during service.
The deciding factor: A medical opinion is needed to assess the relationship between the Veteran's current condition and his military service, specifically herbicide agent exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of renal cell cancer, kidney removal
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19159519
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 19159519.
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 has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for kidney removal and prostate cancer due to potential exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Panama. The VA will need to gather additional medical records, verify the Veteran's lay reports of exposure, and provide a retrospective medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for kidney cancer, kidney removal, painful periumbilical scar status post partial nephrectomy, and surgical scars status post partial nephrectomy. The effective date of service connection was granted as May 13, 2023.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for kidney cancer, kidney removal, and scarring status post kidney removal due to insufficient evidence and the need for a VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial disability rating greater than 30 percent for kidney removal and denied an earlier effective date prior to August 18, 2020, for the grant of service connection for kidney removal.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.