The Board has granted service connection for a gastrointestinal stroma tumor (GIST) due to Agent Orange exposure, but has remanded the issue of service connection for melanoma.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's GIST was found to be presumptively related to his exposure to herbicide agents during service. However, further examination is needed to determine if his melanoma is also related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal stroma tumor (GIST), Melanoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 5, 2022
- Citation
- 22038386
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 22038386.
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 Veteran's melanoma is granted service connection. Service connection for skin cancer other than melanoma is remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the DIC benefits claim due to a failure to obtain relevant medical records from Jefferson City Health and Rehabilitation Center, which could provide information about the Veteran's diagnosis of melanoma.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for residuals of a skin condition, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a heart disability, kidney tumor, melanoma, back disability, and bilateral hearing loss to correct duty-to-assist errors.
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