The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and a VA examination to determine if the appellant's squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue is related to his military service or exposure to herbicides such as Agent Orange.
The deciding factor: The claim requires further evidence regarding the appellant's actual service in Vietnam and whether he was exposed to herbicides, including Agent Orange.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 5, 2010
- Citation
- 1012740
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 1012740.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a compensable disability rating for squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue and remanded an earlier effective date claim.
- Granted
The Veteran's oral cancer is granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue, finding that it is not a respiratory cancer and thus not covered by presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure. The Board also found insufficient evidence to establish direct service connection.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was remanded due to new evidence suggesting a possible link between the condition and his treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the base of his tongue. The claim for squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue is granted based on presumed exposure to Agent Orange.,The Veteran's dental disorder, resulting from radiation treatment for his service-connected squamous cell carcinoma, is also granted.
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