The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about whether the Veteran's USS Ticonderoga was within the offshore waters of Vietnam, and if so, whether parotid gland cancer is a soft-tissue sarcoma that qualifies for presumptive service connection under Agent Orange exposure. The decision also requires obtaining medical opinions on these points.
The deciding factor: The Board found uncertainty about the Veteran's exposure to herbicides due to lack of documentation and remanded for further development, including determining if the USS Ticonderoga was within offshore waters of Vietnam and whether parotid gland cancer is a soft-tissue sarcoma eligible for presumptive service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- parotid gland cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20004600
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20004600.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's parotid gland cancer is granted as service connected due to exposure to herbicide agent while serving in Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death is remanded, and the Board requests additional evidence to determine if his salivary gland cancer was related to herbicide exposure or ionizing radiation. The claim will be reconsidered after this development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for tinnitus and parotid gland cancer due to herbicide exposure. The decision is based on insufficient information regarding the etiology of the Veteran's tinnitus, as well as a need for additional medical opinions regarding his parotid gland cancer.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death is granted due to service-connected parotid gland cancer, which was presumed to be caused by Agent Orange exposure during his military service. DIC benefits are denied as the Veteran did not meet the criteria for entitlement under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
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