The Board is remanding the case due to a duty to assist error. The appellant seeks service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, which was metastatic cancer of the esophagus. She believes this may be related to radiation exposure at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard during service.
The deciding factor: The AOJ did not conduct development regarding potential radiation exposure in service as part of the claim process.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic cancer of the esophagus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 23, 2026
- Citation
- A26038328
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 A26038328.
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
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