The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsils was not present in service or until years thereafter and is not etiologically related to service, including presumed exposure to herbicides.
The deciding factor: There is no positive association between exposure to herbicide agents and tonsil cancer as determined by the Secretary based on findings by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsils
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 6, 2015
- Citation
- 1509587
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 1509587.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsils, including residual loss of voice and required use of feeding tube, to obtain a supplemental medical opinion.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsils has been granted, and a VA examination is required to determine its etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsils is granted. The claims for service connection for secondary conditions are remanded due to a lack of medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsils and tongue is related to his service, specifically exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.
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