The Veteran's cause of death, hepatocellular cancer, is being remanded for further evaluation due to insufficient opinions regarding its relation to service and the role of his service-connected prostate cancer.
The deciding factor: The VA opinion did not adequately address whether the Veteran's hepatocellular carcinoma was related to service exposure or if his service-connected prostate cancer contributed to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Hepatocellular cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2026
- Citation
- 26001524
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 26001524.
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 Veteran's cause of death, hepatocellular cancer, is related to his service-connected exposure to Agent Orange.,The Appellant's income exceeds the maximum annual pension rate for a surviving spouse without dependents.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his hepatocellular cancer is related to his exposure to Agent Orange during service. The decision also vacates the previous denial of accrued benefits.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death, hepatocellular cancer, was not related to his service or any exposure to herbicide agents. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's in-service symptoms were manifestations of hepatocellular cancer and there is no competent medical evidence linking the Veteran's service, including presumed exposure to herbicide agents, to his death from hepatocellular cancer.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his death was not due to a service-connected disability and that medications taken for his service-connected conditions did not contribute to his liver disease.
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