The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA medical professional regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed esophageal cancer.
The deciding factor: Further clarification is needed on whether the Veteran’s service-connected diabetes mellitus aggravated his squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and if it was otherwise caused by military service, including due to herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- cancer of the esophagus, stomach
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20077846
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 20077846.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and other conditions, rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment prior to July 21, 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for a gastrointestinal disability is being remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The AOJ must obtain and consider private medical records from the Cleveland Clinic related to his gastrointestinal disorder before re-adjudicating his claim.
- Granted
The Veteran's esophagus cancer is granted as service connected due to exposure to Agent Orange during his Vietnam service. The cause of death, metastatic esophageal cancer, is also granted.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cancer of the esophagus, finding that it is related to his gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which was aggravated by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications used to treat a service-connected knee condition.
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