The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the face is remanded for a VA medical opinion to determine if it was caused by herbicide agent exposure during service in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The RO did not obtain a medical opinion addressing whether the squamous cell carcinoma is directly related to herbicide agent exposure during service in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the face
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 27, 2023
- Citation
- A23037426
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 A23037426.
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 decided to remand the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error and will provide an opportunity for a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an evaluation higher than 30 percent for atopic dermatitis of the inner ears, actinic keratosis, rosacea, and squamous cell carcinoma of the face is being remanded due to incomplete private treatment records from Valley Dermatology.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the face and the Veteran's cause of death due to lack of evidence supporting a link between these conditions and his military service or any related disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for a dose assessment and VA examination. The dose assessment will determine if the Veteran was exposed to ionizing radiation, which would be relevant to his squamous cell carcinoma of the face claim. For his lung condition, a VA examination is needed to assess whether it had its onset in service or is related to service.
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