The Board remands the claims for service connection of thymoma and tumors/cysts of the liver, kidneys, and pancreas to obtain an addendum opinion addressing their relationship to in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinions were found inadequate due to lack of clarity on certain aspects and failure to address the specific relationship between the Veteran's conditions and his acknowledged in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
- Claimed conditions
- thymoma, tumors/cysts of the liver, tumors/cysts of the kidneys, tumors/cysts of the pancreas
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 25, 2025
- Citation
- 25003977
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,676 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 25003977.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for thymoma, thyroid nodule, Myasthenia gravis, splenic calcified granuloma, hepatic calcified granuloma, and calcified pleural granuloma, all of which are related to toxic environmental exposures during active naval service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for thymoma, bilateral shoulder arthritis, and chronic fatigue syndrome are granted due to the PACT Act presumption of exposure to environmental hazards. The Veteran is assigned a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for financial assistance in the purchase of one automobile or other conveyance and automobile adaptive equipment is remanded. The Board also requests an examination to assess the functional impairment attributable to his service-connected disabilities, including whether they limit his ability to use his left hand with a prosthetic.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for asbestosis due to exposure during active service. However, the claim for service connection for thymoma is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service or any exposures.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.