The Board has determined that there has not been substantial compliance with the April 2018 remand order, and thus the claims for service connection are being remanded to obtain additional information regarding the Veteran's locations of service in Guam and any exposure to toxic chemicals.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the RO did not substantially comply with the prior remand directives, particularly regarding the Veteran’s locations of service in Guam and whether he was exposed to toxic chemicals there.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of bladder cancer, condition of the kidney (claimed as a cyst on the kidney), condition of the liver (claimed as a cyst on the liver), lung condition (claimed as a nodule of the right lung), rectal cancer
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 5, 2020
- Citation
- A20015207
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,948 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A20015207.
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 Veteran's rectal cancer is related to his active duty service and exposure to Agent Orange. The Board granted service connection for the condition.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for rectal cancer and the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected disability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for colorectal cancer, finding that the evidence did not establish a chronic condition in service or a relationship to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for residuals of bladder cancer is dismissed as the claim has been granted. The issues of service connection for colon and lung cancers are remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.
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