The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for cause of the Veteran's death, tonsillar cancer (lymphoma), and DIC benefits due to a duty-to-assist error regarding an adequate VA etiological opinion. The remand includes obtaining a new VA opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is sufficient evidence of an association between hypertension and Agent Orange exposure, but additional clarification is needed for the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma, malignant hypercalcemia, acute on chronic kidney disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 2, 2022
- Citation
- 22043703
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 22043703.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the cause of the Veteran's death as a result of medical treatment provided by VA due to procedural errors in obtaining medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically whether his liver cancer or hepatitis C is related to his active duty service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his primary or contributory causes of death were not caused by his military service or related to his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's death was due to metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma, which is service-connected. The lung disability is also service-connected as it is a result of the liver cancer.
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