The Veteran's cause of death and metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, as well as squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue with pulmonary metastatic disease, are not service connected. The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure at Ubon RTAFB in Thailand.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have duties near the perimeter of Ubon RTAFB and there was no actual exposure to herbicides as a result of his duties while stationed in Thailand.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue with pulmonary metastatic disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18121600
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 18121600.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims due to uncertainty regarding whether the Veteran's cancer was a respiratory cancer and if it related to his exposure to herbicides in Thailand.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue and metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma are being reviewed for service connection, with consideration given to herbicide exposure in Thailand. The cause of death due to squamous cell oral cancer is also under review.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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