The Board has remanded the case due to an unclear VA examiner's report regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death is related to service or pre-service conditions, specifically liver cancer and lung metastasis.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner needs to clarify if the July 1996 VA radiology report correctly identifies metastatic lung disease as possibly from the Veteran's liver cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- Adenocarcinoma of the liver, Cardio-respiratory failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 2, 2022
- Citation
- 22011925
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 22011925.
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
Service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and entitlement to service-connected burial benefits are granted based on the link between liver adenocarcinoma and in-service toxic exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was cardio-respiratory failure due to metastatic adenocarcinoma of the liver. The VA medical opinions determined that his cancer and death were not related to his military service, including presumed exposure to herbicide agents like Agent Orange.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death, adenocarcinoma of the liver, is presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. As a result, the Board grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death was cardio-respiratory failure due to ASHD and COPD, which were not service-connected. The Board found no material or significant relationship between service-connected disabilities and the medical conditions that caused or contributed to the veteran's death.
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