The Board has remanded the case for a new VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's diagnosed head and neck cancer, mammary analogue secretory carcinoma, is related to service exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: The previous opinions were inadequate as they did not address whether the Veteran's MASC is related to his time in service at Camp Lejeune or due to exposure to contaminated water and/or chemicals.
- Claimed conditions
- mammary analogue secretory carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 13, 2023
- Citation
- 23038893
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 23038893.
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 head and neck cancer, diagnosed as mammary analogue secretory carcinoma, was not incurred in service and is not presumed to have been incurred in service. The Board denied the claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for head and neck cancer, diagnosed as mammary analogue secretory carcinoma (MASC), is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between his condition and military service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Board finds a VA examination necessary to address these issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The appeal is granted as his PTSD is now considered service-connected.
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