The Veteran seeks service connection for mouth cancer and lymph node cancer of the neck, which he asserts is due to exposure to toxic herbicides during service. The Board has remanded the case for further development.
The deciding factor: The July 2015 remand instructed the VA examiner to provide an opinion on whether it was at least as likely as not that the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and lymph node cancer, and any residuals thereof, was caused by or related to service, including exposure to toxic herbicides.
- Claimed conditions
- mouth cancer, lymph node cancer of the neck
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 25, 2016
- Citation
- 1612238
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 1612238.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for mouth, throat, and esophagus cancer based on an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence indicating the cancers were incurred in service.
- Dismissed
Your appeal for throat and mouth cancer has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The Board cannot issue a decision on this matter as it is no longer pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including DMII and prostate cancer, are remanded due to insufficient evidence of exposure to herbicide agents. The issues of left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, mouth cancer, and kidney or bladder disorder are also remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for mouth cancer, including as due to in-service exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, finding that there was no evidence supporting a relationship between the Veteran's mouth cancer and active service.
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