The Board has determined that the Veteran's tonsil cancer with extension to tongue base is not service connected due to lack of evidence showing it was incurred during or aggravated by military service, including exposure to herbicides. The issue of a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss remains unresolved.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not establish a link between the Veteran's tonsil cancer and his military service, particularly given the absence of any mention of such condition in his service records or during separation examination. The Board finds that the presumption of herbicide exposure is applicable to this case but does not provide a basis for establishing service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- tonsil cancer with extension to tongue base
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2016
- Citation
- 1641947
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 1641947.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Granted
Service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is granted. The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
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