The veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the left base of the tongue, including as a result of exposure to herbicides, is being remanded due to scheduling issues.
The deciding factor: Scheduling issues prevented the RO from making a decision on the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the left base of the tongue
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 15, 2008
- Citation
- 0843123
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 0843123.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death, squamous cell carcinoma of the left base of the tongue, is found to be related to his military service. The appellant is granted burial benefits as her husband's death was service-connected.
- Granted
The Board found that the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure during service, and granted service connection for this condition. The Board also found that damage to the saliva glands and taste buds are secondary to the service-connected squamous cell carcinoma.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing. Service connection claims related to squamous cell carcinoma of the left base of the tongue, damage to the saliva glands, and damage to the taste buds are pending.
- Denied
The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the left base of the tongue was not manifest in service or to a degree of 10 percent within one year of service separation, and is unrelated to any incident of service origin, including Agent Orange exposure. The Board denies service connection for this condition.
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