The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and alcohol abuse, combined with his pancreatic cancer, contributed substantially or materially to his death. Additionally, there is a need for an addendum opinion on whether VA failed to timely diagnose the Veteran's pancreatic cancer after an October 2012 PET scan was suspicious for malignancy.
The deciding factor: The Board found that insufficient medical opinions were provided regarding the contributory causes of the Veteran's death and the alleged failure to timely diagnose his pancreatic cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- Pancreatic cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 7, 2021
- Citation
- 21073169
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 21073169.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death from pancreatic cancer may be service-connected due to environmental exposures in service, and thus remands for a medical opinion on this issue. The DIC benefits claim is also remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to pancreatic cancer, finding that it was caused by herbicide agent exposure and the service-connected diabetes mellitus. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted effective dates for awards of SMC at various rates, with the earliest being December 13, 2023. The SMC is awarded based on his service-connected conditions and their impact on his daily life.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his pancreatic cancer was related to herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam.
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