The Board has granted service connection for left tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether it is related to active duty service. The condition was not found to be related to exposure to herbicides or agent orange.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions were conflicting regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma, with some suggesting a connection to military service and others attributing it to other factors. As the evidence is in equipoise, the claim for direct service connection was granted.
- Claimed conditions
- left tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 16, 2009
- Citation
- 0934705
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 0934705.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected squamous cell carcinoma of the penis, metastatic to inguinal lymph node, is granted a 20 percent rating from March 20, 2013, and a 40 percent rating from March 10, 2021. The Board also found that the Veteran's left tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma is not related to his service-connected penile cancer.
- Dismissed
The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal regarding the extension of a temporary total evaluation for left tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma, and thus there are no further allegations to consider.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for DM type II, a heart disability, and throat cancer. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service or any other etiological factor.
- Granted
The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil is service-connected based on presumed exposure to Agent Orange during his active duty in Vietnam.
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