The Veteran's claims for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil and right tongue are granted as new and material evidence has been submitted. The cases are remanded to further develop the medical records needed to determine if HPV was present in the cancerous tissue.
The deciding factor: New evidence, including opinions from doctors, suggests that the Veteran's cancers may be related to his service-connected prostate cancer and/or exposure to herbicide agents during service, but more information is needed regarding the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) markers in the cancerous tissue samples.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil, squamous cell carcinoma of the right tongue
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18137717
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 18137717.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil was related to his military service at Camp Lejeune and caused his death.
- Granted
The Board granted a 50 percent rating for squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil, effective April 9, 2021.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil, as there was no evidence to support a direct link between the condition and the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for service connection of squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil is remanded. The Board needs more medical evidence to determine if the condition is related to in-service herbicide exposure.
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