The Board has determined that there was not substantial compliance with its September 2019 remand and thus the case must be returned for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion from an oncologist to determine if the Veteran's cause of death is related to service exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous VA medical opinion was not based on qualifications in oncology and therefore remanded for another opinion from an oncologist.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic colon cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20033330
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 20033330.
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 Veteran's cause of death was metastatic colon cancer, but the appellant contends it was caused by exposure to ionizing radiation during his service as an X-ray technician. The case is remanded for further development regarding dose estimation and consideration under VA regulations.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be related to service-connected conditions, specifically metastatic colon cancer and coronary artery disease. The Board granted the claim for service connection based on the evidence provided.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between his service-connected conditions and his death. The Board requests a medical opinion on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically in obtaining VA medical records and an adequate medical opinion regarding the cause of death.
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