The Board has granted service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the throat as due to herbicide exposure. The claims for secondary service connection for various disabilities are remanded.
The deciding factor: The primary issue is whether the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma originated in a respiratory system, which would allow for presumptive service connection under VA regulations. However, conflicting medical opinions suggest the origin may be elsewhere, and the Board has resolved doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the throat
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19125561
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,017 · Granted: 36% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19125561.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and throat is at least as likely as not related to in-service exposure to herbicides, including Agent Orange. Service connection for these conditions is therefore granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the throat to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's condition and his service-connected GERD, as well as any toxic exposures during service at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasoning and lack of substantial compliance with a previous Joint Motion for Remand (JMR). The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the throat is being reviewed again by an oncologist or otolaryngologist to determine if it is related to his military service, including exposure to herbicide agents.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the throat and related disorders were denied. The cancer is not considered a disease associated with herbicide exposure, and there is no evidence linking any of the claimed conditions to active service.
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