The Board has remanded the case due to inadequacies in the dose estimate and VA medical opinions regarding the Veteran's pancreatic cancer. The AOJ is required to obtain a new dose estimate, consider the video submitted by the Appellant, and provide a new VA medical opinion that addresses the theories of combined effects of radiation exposure, noxious fumes and fires, and stress/sleep deprivation caused by service in the Gulf War.
The deciding factor: The Board found the existing evidence inadequate to support the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to lack of consideration of certain factors related to his exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Pancreatic cancer
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20047012
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 20047012.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's death from pancreatic cancer may be service-connected due to environmental exposures in service, and thus remands for a medical opinion on this issue. The DIC benefits claim is also remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to pancreatic cancer, finding that it was caused by herbicide agent exposure and the service-connected diabetes mellitus. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted effective dates for awards of SMC at various rates, with the earliest being December 13, 2023. The SMC is awarded based on his service-connected conditions and their impact on his daily life.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his pancreatic cancer was related to herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam.
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