The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to address a lay statement regarding prostate cancer and its relation to Camp Lejeune exposure. A VA examination is required.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's physician stated that his prostate cancer is from contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, meeting the low bar of McLendon v. Nicholson for requiring a medical opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- prostate cancer
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2020
- Citation
- 20069247
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for prostate cancer, related to in-service exposures at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran is granted an effective date of April 25, 2014, for service connection for prostate cancer.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of service connection for prostate cancer to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the Veteran's toxic exposure risk activities.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.