The Board has decided that the Veteran's kidney cancer may be related to his service in Vietnam, but needs further examination and evidence to make a determination.
The deciding factor: Further medical examination is needed to determine if the Veteran’s kidney cancer is related to herbicide exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- papillary renal cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20033144
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 20033144.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal to reduce the disability rating for papillary renal cell carcinoma from 100% to noncompensable (0%) is dismissed because it does not confer appellate rights.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's papillary renal cell carcinoma is related to exposure to burn pits during his service in Iraq, and therefore grants the claim for service connection on a direct causation basis.
- Granted
The Veteran's papillary renal cell carcinoma is granted service connection. For the entire appeal period, a 70 percent rating for PTSD is granted and he is granted entitlement to TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further medical development to determine whether the Veteran's papillary renal cell carcinoma is active or in remission, and if there has been cessation of treatment.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.