The Board found that the Veteran's tongue cancer, with invasion to the pharynx, was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred or aggravated therein due to exposure to ionizing radiation. The evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection either.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was no reasonable possibility that the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue resulted from exposure to radiation in service, given the low risk for radiation-induced cancers and the calculated probability being less than 1%.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue with invasion to the lateral pharynx
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 31, 2010
- Citation
- 1011975
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 1011975.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Granted
Service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is granted. The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
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