The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for pancreatic and esophageal cancers due to herbicide exposure, as these conditions are not covered by the presumptive diseases list. The appellant's claim of cause of death is also inextricably intertwined with the service connection claims.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service in Vietnam, but pancreatic and esophageal cancers are not among the listed presumptive diseases for such exposure. However, a medical opinion is needed to determine if there is a link between the cancers and the Veteran's service.
- Claimed conditions
- pancreatic cancer, esophageal cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 6, 2022
- Citation
- 22038506
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 22038506.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not caused by a disability incurred or aggravated in service, and the Board denied the claim for service connection.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of death due to esophageal cancer, which is presumed to be related to exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the appeal for accrued benefits and has remanded the issue of service connection for cause of death, as there was a duty to assist error related to obtaining a medical nexus opinion regarding in-service herbicide agent exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's prostate disability. The claims for esophageal cancer and Barrett's esophagus remain denied.
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