The Veteran's claim for service connection for cancer of the left tonsil and tongue, which he contends was caused by exposure to herbicide agents during service, is being remanded due to a lack of a VA medical opinion on the nature and etiology of his condition.
The deciding factor: A VA medical examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's left tonsil and tongue cancer is related to in-service herbicide agent exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- cancer of the left tonsil, cancer of the tongue
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2021
- Citation
- 21005115
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 21005115.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral lung cancer, cancer of the tongue, and malignant tumor of tonsil and squamous cell carcinoma of the pharynx to obtain a new VA opinion.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and cancer of the left tonsil, both related to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was diagnosed during service with significant threshold shifts, meeting VA criteria for a disability. His cancer of the left tonsil is presumed to be due to his exposure to herbicides.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case for further development regarding service connection for cancer of the tongue due to environmental exposures during service, including brake pad dust, diesel fuel, cleaning solvents, and artillery blast powder. The Veteran's smoking history is also considered.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the Veteran's respiratory cancer and its relation to herbicide exposure. The claim will be reviewed again with a new medical opinion.
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