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
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,642 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for onychomycosis was denied as the condition did not require treatment and covered less than 5% of his body. The Board also remanded issues regarding service connection for left ear hearing loss and entitlement to a compensable disability rating for right ear hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for shin splints, right knee disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), stomach disability, and left ear hearing loss due to errors in providing notice of the right to a hearing.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of sleep apnea, left lower extremity (LLE) sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and right ear hearing loss due to untimely filing.,The Board also dismissed the appeal for service connection of left ear hearing loss as moot because it was already granted in a prior decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss. The Veteran does not have left ear hearing loss for VA purposes.
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