The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated by his military service and did not have a link to any in-service exposures.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence linking the Veteran’s squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil to his presumed exposure to Agent Orange or contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The opinion also noted that alcohol consumption was more likely the cause of the cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2018
- Citation
- 18104754
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 18104754.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a new VA medical opinion addressing all of the Veteran's claimed in-service toxic exposures, including herbicide agents, asbestos, concrete dust, burning waste, asphalt, and related chemicals.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the case to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claim for service connection of squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil due to toxic exposure in service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there was no prior claim filed before October 14, 2019.,New evidence has been received to support the service connection claims for squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil and adenocarcinoma with signet ring cells. These claims are now granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic fatigue as secondary to squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil is denied. The Board also remanded the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU).
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.