The veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, including as secondary to herbicide exposure is being remanded due to outstanding medical records.
The deciding factor: There are missing relevant medical records that need to be obtained from specific healthcare providers.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 29, 2008
- Citation
- 0807029
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 0807029.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error, requiring an addendum opinion from an appropriate clinician to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed residuals of squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, finding that it is related to presumed herbicide agent exposure during active duty service. The decision is based on medical opinions and evidence from a study showing higher rates of oral cavity and pharynx cancer in Korean and Australian Vietnam veterans.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx and base of the tongue, finding that it is etiologically related to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with tobacco and alcohol use disorders.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx as due to exposure to herbicides, finding that the Veteran's cancer was more likely related to his smoking history rather than Agent Orange exposure.
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