The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of death and the relationship between CLL and service. The Veteran's lung cancer is being considered, but the specific role of his CLL in causing or contributing to his death remains unclear.
The deciding factor: An addendum VA medical opinion is needed to address whether the late-Veteran's diagnosed CLL was related to service, including exposure to asbestos.
- Claimed conditions
- Lung Cancer, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 22, 2023
- Citation
- 23010958
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 23010958.
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, lung cancer, was not related to his active duty service and therefore service connection for the cause of death is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's CLL is presumed to be related to his service in Thailand due to exposure to herbicide agents, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim of service connection for GERD has been readjudicated due to the submission of relevant new evidence.,The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral eye condition, headaches, low back condition, lung cancer, and Parkinson's disease with tremors have also been readjudicated due to the submission of relevant new evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's eligibility for the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) was remanded due to inadequate medical opinion and insufficient notice. The Board found that the Veteran required personal care services due to his chronic conditions, including lymphoma, congestive heart failure, lung cancer, and decreased mobility.
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