The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by his oropharyngeal cancer, which is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during service. The claim for service connection for the cause of death is granted.
The deciding factor: The private physician provided a rationale linking the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange with his oropharyngeal cancer and subsequent death.
- Claimed conditions
- Pharyngeal cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 13, 2015
- Citation
- 1506958
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 1506958.
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 Board has granted service connection for pharyngeal cancer, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus on a presumptive basis due to exposure to ionizing radiation during active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was due to pharyngeal cancer, which he developed after VA failed to timely diagnose and treat his prostate cancer. The case is being remanded for further investigation of the timing and appropriateness of the medical care provided.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran died of respiratory failure caused by pharyngeal cancer or a soft tissue sarcoma that was related to his exposure to Agent Orange. The appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA medical records and an opinion on the cause of death.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected PTSD caused or contributed to his death from cardiogenic shock, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, prostate cancer, and pharyngeal cancer.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.