The Board remands the service connection claim for bladder cancer due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, as there are no adequate medical opinions in the record.
The deciding factor: A remand is necessary to obtain an adequate VA medical opinion addressing the Veteran's contentions regarding the etiology of his bladder cancer, including exposure to secondhand smoke and lead-based paint during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bladder cancer
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 2, 2025
- Citation
- A25048474
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 granted service connection for bladder cancer, diabetes mellitus, type 2, and an acquired psychiatric disability (unspecified depressive disorder), but denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bladder cancer as there was no evidence of voiding dysfunction or renal dysfunction, and the GFR was over 90.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for coronary artery disease, service connection for bladder cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of February 27, 2017, for the award of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on loss of use of creative organ.
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