The Veteran's cause of death was attributed to head and neck cancer, but his service-connected laryngeal cancer and basal cell carcinoma of the lower lip were not considered contributory causes. The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure or environmental toxin exposure during service that could support a presumption of service connection for his cancers.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records did not show any chronic skin disorders, and there is no evidence linking his head and neck cancer to service-connected conditions or presumed Agent Orange exposure. The Board found the appellant's alternative theories of causation lacking in supporting documentation.
- Claimed conditions
- Head and neck cancer, Squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, Basal cell carcinoma of the lower lip
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2011
- Citation
- 1135244
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 1135244.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of death, finding that head and neck cancer was related to herbicide agent exposure during service in Thailand.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and DEA benefits, finding no evidence supporting a causal link between the Veteran's metastatic adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death, specifically his head and neck cancer, was causally related to his herbicide exposure during service. The Board granted DIC based on this finding.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining a VA medical opinion on the cause of death and issuing a supplemental statement of the case for death pension benefits.
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