The Veteran's claim for service connection for throat cancer, including as due to Agent Orange exposure, is granted. The Board finds that the evidence supports a diagnosis of laryngeal cancer and presumes exposure to herbicides based on his Vietnam Service Medal.
The deciding factor: The Board found the evidence in equipoise regarding the anatomical origin of the Veteran's throat cancer but resolved all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, finding it more likely that the cancer originated in his throat. The presumption of Agent Orange exposure is also granted.
- Claimed conditions
- throat cancer
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19131496
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,035 · Granted: 30% (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 19131496.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the appellant's request for direct payment of attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in an April 2025 rating decision, as the decision was not a result of a valid appeal and did not award any past-due benefits.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for lung cancer is denied. The claim for throat cancer is granted, and the Veteran is awarded a TDIU rating prior to August 10, 2022.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tonsillar cancer (claimed as throat and respiratory cancer) due to a lack of evidence showing that his condition began during active service or is related to an in-service injury or disease, including presumed exposure to herbicide agents and contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for throat cancer service connection was dismissed due to their death during the appeal process.
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