The Veteran's oropharyngeal cancer was neither incurred in active service nor related to an incident therein and may not be presumed to have been.,The Veteran does not currently have any intestinal problems.
The deciding factor: Medical evidence did not establish a nexus between the Veteran’s exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and his current oropharyngeal cancer or intestinal problems.
- Claimed conditions
- Oropharyngeal cancer, Intestinal problems
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19132213
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,515 · Granted: 20% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19132213.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case for the AOJ to issue a statement of the case addressing the claim for a higher initial rating and entitlement to special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and he did not meet the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development regarding the cause of death and service connection claims. The Veteran's COPD and oropharyngeal cancer are not presumed diseases related to herbicide agent exposure, but may still be service-connected on a direct basis. The claim will be reviewed after obtaining updated medical records and opinions from an expert.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's oropharyngeal cancer is considered a respiratory cancer associated with herbicide exposure, and service connection for this condition on a presumptive basis is granted. The kidney disorder claim remains pending as the VA has not provided an opinion regarding its etiology.
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