The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's rectal cancer is related to his exposure to burn pits while serving in Iraq.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran’s rectal cancer was less likely than not related to service, but a new medical opinion is needed to address the issue of exposure to burn pits.
- Claimed conditions
- rectal cancer
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19159966
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 19159966.
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 the Veteran's death, finding no evidence linking rectal cancer to his active military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for service connection for rectal cancer and various types of neuropathy, finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's active duty service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for rectal cancer, finding that the evidence did not support a link between his in-service radiation exposure and his current condition. The claim for service connection for mitral valve prolapse was remanded for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for rectal cancer, finding that the Veteran's exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) during active duty was at least as likely as not related to his diagnosis.
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