The Veteran's tonsillar carcinoma is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and providing an opinion on whether it is related to service, particularly herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner will need to provide an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's tonsillar carcinoma, specifically addressing its relation to his active duty service, including any potential link to herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- tonsillar carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 23, 2015
- Citation
- 1531396
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 1531396.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tonsillar carcinoma and for death benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus to service and that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for total disability due to his condition.
- Denied
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has denied the claim for service connection for tonsillar carcinoma, finding that there is no evidence of chronic tonsillar cancer in service or within a presumptive period. The appellant's contention regarding Agent Orange exposure was not supported by the VA medical opinion and other evidence. Service connection cannot be established on direct or presumptive basis.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's tonsillar carcinoma did not occur during service and could not be linked to ionizing radiation exposure. Therefore, service connection for residuals of tonsillar carcinoma was denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the Board found no evidence linking his causes of death to his military service or herbicide exposure.
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