The Veteran's death was caused by gingival squamous cell carcinoma, which the Board found not to be related to his service. The Board determined that tobacco use was more significant in causing the cancer than any herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA physician provided a thorough and compelling rationale concluding that the Veteran’s tobacco use was the most significant causative factor for his gingival squamous cell carcinoma, which precluded finding service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- gingival squamous cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20036166
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 20036166.
What this means for you
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