The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, metastatic squamous cell carcinoma, may be related to herbicide exposure during service. However, due to a lack of medical opinion on this issue, the case is being remanded for further evaluation.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's cause of death was caused by herbicide exposure or any other incidence of active-duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic squamous cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 27, 2022
- Citation
- A22021707
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 A22021707.
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 the Veteran's metastatic squamous cell carcinoma, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to exposure to toxins/chemicals during his military service.,Service connection was also granted for the cause of death due to metastatic squamous cell carcinoma.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for metastatic squamous cell carcinoma and the cause of death due to metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. The Veteran's cancer was not related to his military service, including exposure to asbestos or radiation.
- Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by multi-organ failure due to or as a result of squamous cell carcinoma, metastatic squamous cell carcinoma, radiation pneumonitis, and severe atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The Board finds service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is warranted based on presumed exposure to an herbicide agent during his service in Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases due to a lack of an addendum medical opinion from an oncologist regarding the etiology of the Veteran's metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. The examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the cancer was incurred in or related to service, including any confirmed radiation or asbestos exposure.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.