The Veteran's cause of death is remanded for further review due to new evidence submitted by the Appellant suggesting a possible link between his astrocytoma and exposure to herbicides during service. The DIC claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the service connection issue.
The deciding factor: New medical literature suggests a potential risk factor for brain tumors related to pesticide exposure, which could be linked to the Veteran's cause of death due to his presumed in-service herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- astrocytoma, metastases
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 20, 2022
- Citation
- 22030001
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 22030001.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew her appeals for the 100% rating for astrocytoma, SMC reinstatement, and DEA eligibility effective August 1, 2021.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. 1151 is remanded due to a duty to assist error, and the case is also remanded for readjudication of issues related to bladder or urinary disorders and metastases.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's astrocytoma is related to his service, specifically his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. The examiner must determine if the Veteran's condition falls under the presumptive diseases associated with herbicide exposure and/or if it was caused by such exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran seeks service connection for astrocytoma, a form of brain cancer. The Board finds that the development under 38 U.S.C. § 3.311 is not adequate to decide the claim and remands it for additional development including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling an examination.
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