The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for gastrointestinal disorder and prostate cancer due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need for additional medical opinions. The AOJ is directed to obtain relevant records from Augusta VAMC, request an addendum opinion on prostate cancer, and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to assess his gastrointestinal disorder.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there may be more outstanding relevant VA treatment records and that another VA disability examination is required to consider the Veteran's lay observations of gastrointestinal symptoms shortly after his return from Southwest Asia. The AOJ must also obtain additional medical opinions regarding prostate cancer and schedule a VA examination for the gastrointestinal disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal disorder, Prostate cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2021
- Citation
- 21005187
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 21005187.
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 arteriosclerotic heart disease is rated at 100% effective October 25, 2024. His prostate cancer residuals are rated at 60% effective October 25, 2024.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and prostate cancer are granted service connection, with the latter requiring a VA examination to address exposure to burn pits.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss in the right ear has been denied. The Board found that there is no current diagnosis of right ear hearing loss and thus, cannot establish a link to service. For prostate cancer, the Veteran's claim is remanded as VA did not provide an opinion regarding whether his condition may be related to service due to toxic exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals prior to January 5, 2026 are rated at 10 percent. From January 5, 2026, the Veteran is granted a 20 percent rating for his prostate cancer residuals. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is not compensable.
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