The veteran died from squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck with severe metabolic disorders. The Board finds that his death was not caused by VA hospital care, nor by VA medical or surgical treatment.
The deciding factor: The veteran's death was due to an overwhelming terminal illness, not related to VA care or treatment.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, severe metabolic disorders
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2006
- Citation
- 0607309
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for malignant neoplasm of lymph nodes of the head, face, neck and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, service connection for various conditions, and a TDIU due to the need for further development of the record.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, finding no evidence linking it to service or herbicide exposure.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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