The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's esophagus cancer is related to his service, specifically his exposure to herbicide agents and contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The examiner must provide an opinion on this matter.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address the etiology of the esophagus cancer in relation to the conceded exposures (herbicide agents and contaminated water at Camp Lejeune).
- Claimed conditions
- esophagus cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 16, 2023
- Citation
- 23045516
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 23045516.
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 remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of death and potential toxic exposure risk activities (TERA). The Veteran's private treatment records from Sentara Careplex Hospital need to be obtained, and a medical opinion is needed to determine if esophagus cancer and sepsis are related to service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for mouth, throat, and esophagus cancer based on an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence indicating the cancers were incurred in service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's esophagus cancer and right shoulder condition were not shown as chronic in service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within a presumptive period, and continuity of symptomatology is not established. The claim for compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a right shoulder condition was remanded due to new evidence submitted by the appellant.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for cause of death, brain cancer, esophagus cancer, and bone cancer due to conflicting evidence regarding the Veteran's alleged Vietnam service. The appellant is seeking these conditions as secondary to the Veteran's lung cancer.
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