The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's stroke was secondary to radiation treatment for his service-connected squamous cell nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The file is to be reviewed by a similarly qualified examiner to provide opinions on causation and aggravation.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the June 2020 VA medical opinion did not address whether the Veteran's stroke was aggravated by his service-connected squamous cell nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which is required for secondary service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a stroke, service-connected squamous cell nasopharyngeal carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20076145
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 20076145.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a left hip disability and residuals of a stroke, both secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and right hip disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's residuals of a stroke as secondary to his heart condition, finding that there was no established service connection for the heart condition and noting insufficient evidence to link the stroke directly to military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted secondary service connection for the Veteran's residuals of a stroke, finding that it is related to his service-connected hypertension.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew their appeal regarding the issue of service connection for residuals of a stroke as secondary to hypertension.
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