The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his period of active duty service or to Agent Orange exposure. The claim for tobacco use and/or nicotine dependence was also denied.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence demonstrating a link between the veteran's current squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and either his alleged Agent Orange exposure during service or his tobacco use/nicotine dependence.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 14, 2000
- Citation
- 0015599
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 0015599.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of February 1, 2021, for the award of service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and related disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and assigned a 20 percent evaluation, but denied service connection for osteoporosis, spinal stenosis, neurocognitive disorder with Alzheimer's, hypertension, and TDIU.
- Granted
The veteran's claim for service connection of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue is granted. The decision was based on evidence showing that the cancer is related to in-service exposures to Agent Orange and asbestos.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the appellant's squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, finding that it is likely related to his service-connected major depressive disorder.
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