The Board has remanded the case due to a need for further medical examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left renal cell carcinoma, which is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during service in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The evidence suggests a connection between Agent Orange exposure and kidney cancer, but the medical document is not from the Veteran’s provider and does not consider his specific circumstances.
- Claimed conditions
- left renal cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19194619
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 19194619.
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 for left renal cell carcinoma to obtain a clarifying addendum opinion regarding its etiology, including whether it is related to herbicide exposure or caused by the Veteran's service-connected hypertension.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating and earlier effective dates, finding that the reduction in evaluation from 100% to 30% was proper.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's left eye condition is related to service, as it found that the condition did not preexist service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for prostate cancer, related to in-service exposures at Camp Lejeune.
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