The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including a VA examination to determine if the veteran's nasopharyngeal cancer is related to his military service, specifically Agent Orange exposure. The issues of left ear hearing loss and dry mouth, throat, and dysphagia as secondary to nasopharyngeal cancer are also inextricably intertwined with the claim for service connection for nasopharyngeal cancer.
The deciding factor: The Board has determined that further development is needed due to the complexity of the case, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the relationship between the veteran's nasopharyngeal cancer and his military service, specifically Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- nasopharyngeal cancer, left ear hearing loss, dry mouth, throat, and dysphagia
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 11, 2006
- Citation
- 0620097
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 0620097.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of left ear hearing loss due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, as an addendum opinion is necessary to address evidence of in-service hearing loss and convert audiometric testing results from ASA to ISO-ANSI standards.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss to obtain an adequate VA opinion addressing the hearing loss demonstrated on the September 1968 and July 1974 examination, under both ASA and ISO-ANSI standards.
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