The Board has remanded the claims for breast cancer status post bilateral mastectomy, left arm lymphedema, and malignant melanoma due to service connection issues. The Veteran's representative argued that her conditions are related to in-service herbicide agent exposure or secondary to a service-connected condition (non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma). However, the VA examiners did not provide sufficient rationale for their opinions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners' opinions were incomplete and failed to address the Veteran's statements about her exposures and the significance of the EPA Report regarding perchloroethylene.
- Claimed conditions
- breast cancer status post bilateral mastectomy, left arm lymphedema, malignant melanoma
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 20, 2023
- Citation
- A23036829
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 A23036829.
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 Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for malignant melanoma, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to his active duty service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for her scars has been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of this claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA did not obtain all necessary service treatment records and failed to provide a VA medical opinion addressing the cause of death. The claim is being remanded for these actions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for compensation under 38 U.S.C. 1151 for pars planitis is dismissed, and he is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on loss of use of his left eye.
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