The Board remands the matter for a new medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically to address whether his esophageal cancer is related to his exposure to Camp Lejeune contaminated water.
The deciding factor: The opinions provided were found inadequate due to lack of thorough rationale and supporting data.
- Claimed conditions
- Esophageal cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 29, 2025
- Citation
- 25007324
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 service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence linking his esophageal cancer to his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for arthritis of multiple joints, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, and urethral cancer due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's service or exposure at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's left eye condition is related to service, as it found that the condition did not preexist service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for prostate cancer, related to in-service exposures at Camp Lejeune.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.