The Board has remanded the claims for thyroid cancer and esophageal cancer due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The left shoulder disability rating claim is also being remanded.
The deciding factor: Further medical opinions are needed to determine if the Veteran's thyroid cancer and esophageal cancer are related to service exposure to ionizing radiation, as well as to assess the current severity of his left shoulder disability.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Thyroid Cancer","diagnosed_in_service":false,"related_to_exposure":true,"exposure_basis":"ionizing radiation"}, {"condition_name":"Esophageal Cancer","diagnosed_in_service":false,"related_to_exposure":true,"exposure_basis":"ionizing radiation"}
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20004962
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
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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.