The Veteran's death was due to metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea, which is a presumptive disease under the PACT Act. Service connection for the cause of death is granted pursuant to the PACT Act. However, service connection based on exposure to burn pits and environmental toxins in the Southwest Asia theater of operations is remanded for further medical opinion.
The deciding factor: The Board has already determined that the Veteran's death was due to metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea, which is a presumptive disease under the PACT Act. The next step is to determine if this condition is related to service exposure to burn pits and environmental toxins in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 5, 2026
- Citation
- A26020306
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 A26020306.
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 of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Granted
Service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is granted. The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
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