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
- Not verified here — check the original 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A26020306.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Granted
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