The Veteran's claim for service connection for papillary thyroid cancer is remanded due to a duty to assist error. The VA will develop the claim and schedule an examination to determine if his thyroid cancer is related to exposure to radiation during his military service at Thule Air Base.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion does not meet the standard of 'at least as likely as not' for service connection, necessitating further development under 38 C.F.R. § 3.311.
- Claimed conditions
- papillary thyroid cancer
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2023
- Citation
- A23034858
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 A23034858.
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 Veteran's papillary thyroid cancer and obstructive sleep apnea claims are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for papillary thyroid cancer, finding that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's current condition and her military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for papillary thyroid cancer as it is not etiologically related to the Veteran's active military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted an effective date prior to August 6, 2014, for the grant of service connection for residuals of papillary thyroid cancer status post thyroidectomy. However, the claim is remanded due to a lack of adequate medical evidence regarding the Veteran's most recent treatment and when he last received radioactive iodine treatment.
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