All four service connection claims are remanded for further development. The AOJ must conduct radiation dose estimation for the bladder cancer claim and obtain adequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of diabetes mellitus type II and progressive supranuclear ophthalmoplegia.
The deciding factor: The AOJ failed to complete required development under 38 C.F.R. § 3.311(a) for radiation exposure claims and obtained inadequate VA medical opinions that did not adequately address the claimed in-service radiation exposure or provide proper rationale for their conclusions.
- Claimed conditions
- bladder cancer with incontinence, ulcerative colitis/reflux, diabetes mellitus type II, progressive supranuclear ophthalmoplegia
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Ionizing radiation
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25088501
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 coronary atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and penile cancer as there was no evidence of a medical nexus between the Veteran's conditions and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter to correct a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error, specifically to verify the Veteran's assertion of herbicide exposure while working on C-123 aircraft at Clark Air Base from May 1965 to November 1966.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, right hip degenerative joint disease and rheumatoid arthritis with acetabular cyst status post right total hip replacement, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, hypertension, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, fever sores, and a compromised immune system, as the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for various conditions associated with a stroke, including obstructive sleep apnea, depression, and diabetes mellitus type II.
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