The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatocellular carcinoma is remanded due to the lack of evidence linking it to herbicide exposure, but a VA examination is needed to determine if there is any other potential link.
The deciding factor: There is no direct evidence linking the Veteran's hepatocellular carcinoma to herbicide exposure, and the provided medical opinion is speculative. A VA examination is required to assess whether there are other factors that could be related to his condition.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatocellular carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20046609
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 20046609.
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 Veteran's appeal for service connection for hepatocellular carcinoma, which is secondary to hepatitis C, has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for service connection of kidney cancer and liver cancer, finding that no formal or informal claims were filed prior to February 12, 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to reconsider the claim for DIC. The AOJ will now review the case in light of all available evidence.
- Granted
The Board has granted the claim of service connection for hepatocellular carcinoma, finding that it was aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.
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