The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil is being remanded for additional medical guidance regarding whether it was caused by herbicide exposure. The remaining issues are inextricably intertwined and will be deferred until further notice.
The deciding factor: The Board needs to obtain a medical opinion on whether the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil was due to herbicide exposure, as this is not among the presumptive respiratory cancers associated with Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 1, 2018
- Citation
- 1826605
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 1826605.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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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