The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue and an unspecified malignant neoplasm of the lymph nodes of the head, face, and neck are not service connected as they do not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure. The Board finds that there is no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue was not shown to be related to service, including presumed herbicide exposure, as it did not manifest within one year after service discharge or by December 1969. The evidence does not support a finding that his cancer is secondary to an already service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue, an unspecified malignant neoplasm of the lymph nodes of the head, face, and neck
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 1, 2015
- Citation
- 1518889
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1518889.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's oral cancer is granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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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