The Board found that cancer of the right tonsil region was not incurred in or aggravated by service, including exposure to herbicides. The veteran's claim for service connection based on Agent Orange exposure was denied.
The deciding factor: The separation of the oropharynx from the larynx and the remainder of the respiratory tract is artificial, making it possible that there exists a relationship between the veteran's cancer and Agent Orange exposure, but this could not be definitively established without further review by a pathologist familiar with both head and neck oncology and specific histologic patterns associated with Agent Orange.
- Claimed conditions
- cancer of the right tonsil region
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 13, 2005
- Citation
- 0524877
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 0524877.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The veteran's cancer of the right tonsil region is causally related to his active duty service, including presumed exposure to Agent Orange during his time in Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an opinion from a VA medical specialist regarding the etiology of the veteran's cancer of the right tonsil region and obtaining tissue samples associated with a biopsy.
- 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.
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