The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of larynx cancer, finding that there was no direct evidence linking his current condition to his military service. The Board also found insufficient evidence to support a presumption of herbicide exposure in Thailand.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran’s larynx cancer was mostly likely caused by his history of heavy tobacco use rather than his active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- larynx cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2020
- Citation
- 20069067
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal for service connection and increased rating for larynx cancer was dismissed due to untimeliness.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for esophageal cancer, benign prostate hypertrophy, and erectile dysfunction secondary to the now service-connected benign prostate hypertrophy. The claims for larynx cancer, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, diabetes, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and a stomach disorder were denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for further development, including obtaining a new medical opinion from a board-certified oncologist or another appropriate specialist.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for larynx cancer, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy to correct duty to assist errors that occurred prior to the rating decision on appeal.
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