The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing a medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that an opinion is necessary to determine the etiology of the Veteran’s cholangiocarcinoma, which may be related to herbicide exposure in service.
- Claimed conditions
- cholangiocarcinoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19182151
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of November 30, 2016, but not earlier, for the award of service connection for cholangiocarcinoma.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, cholangiocarcinoma, based on evidence supporting a direct relationship between the disease and the Veteran's in-service exposure to Agent Orange.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for a survivor's pension was denied due to the appellant's countable income exceeding the maximum annual pension rate. The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for cause of death.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to cholangiocarcinoma, finding no evidence that it was caused by exposure to herbicides or liver flukes during service, and also found no aggravation by a resolved laryngeal cancer.
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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.