The Board has remanded the case for further development and evaluation of the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and esophageal cancer. The issues are related to whether his current conditions are linked to his military service, specifically exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not address all relevant facts in their opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorder and esophageal cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (unspecified anxiety disorder, progression from depressive disorder), Esophageal cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 21, 2021
- Citation
- 21031287
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 21031287.
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 peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities and remanded the issue of esophageal cancer.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence linking his esophageal cancer to his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a new medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically to address whether his esophageal cancer is related to his exposure to Camp Lejeune contaminated water.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically prostate cancer, and accrued benefits based on a pending claim for esophageal cancer due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service.
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