The Veteran's cause of death was attributed to metastatic pharyngeal cancer, which the VA medical opinion found more likely related to tobacco use and alcohol consumption. The Board denied service connection for the cause of death.
The deciding factor: The June 2010 VA medical opinion concluded that the pharyngeal cancer was more likely due to the Veteran's tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption, which are well-known risk factors for oral and pharyngeal cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic pharyngeal cancer, tobacco abuse
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 8, 2011
- Citation
- 1122286
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 1122286.
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- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing it to Agent Orange exposure in service.
- Denied
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- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 were not met.
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