The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa manifested more than one year after separation from service and is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to an in-service event, injury, or disease, including herbicide exposure. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: The squamous cell carcinoma did not manifest within one year of separation from service and there is no medical evidence linking it to herbicide exposure or any other in-service event, injury, or disease.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 16, 2016
- Citation
- 1619692
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 1619692.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The veteran's service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa was granted with an effective date of May 19, 2017. A 100% rating was assigned from May 19, 2017, to April 16, 2018. The veteran also received a 40% rating for residuals of a resection of the left scapula and a TDIU.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus and squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa have been granted service connection, with tinnitus being linked to in-service noise exposure and squamous cell carcinoma linked to in-service herbicide agent exposure. The issue of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance or housebound status is remanded.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa is related to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder with alcohol dependence, and thus grants service connection on a secondary basis.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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