The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's tonsillar cancer and its relationship to his service, specifically exposure to Agent Orange.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner failed to adequately address the Veteran's lay statements about symptoms in service and since service.
- Claimed conditions
- tonsillar cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 22, 2021
- Citation
- 21076263
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 21076263.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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: 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.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for tonsillar cancer and metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck are remanded due to a duty to assist error. The Board finds that VA failed to provide a VA examination prior to the May 2020 rating decision on appeal.
- Whole decision: Granted
Service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted due to his service-connected tonsillar cancer being identified as the immediate cause of death.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for tonsillar cancer was granted with an effective date of January 13, 2020.
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