The Veteran's metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil status post radical neck dissection is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding its etiology. The claims for secondary service connection for right arm muscle loss and residuals of fractured right jaw with loss of teeth are also remanded.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not provide a clear opinion on the cause of the Veteran's metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil, which is presumed to be related to exposure to herbicide agents in service. The examiner must consider the Veteran's self-reported history and any relevant environmental exposures.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 5, 2022
- Citation
- 22000358
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,451 · Granted: 22% (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 22000358.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil (claimed as throat cancer) based on herbicide exposure, finding that there was no evidence linking his condition to active service or any incident therein, including herbicide exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The veteran's claim for service connection for metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil based on herbicide exposure was remanded due to insufficient notice and a need for an examination.
- Denied
The veteran's metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil was not incurred in or aggravated by his active service, including presumed exposure to herbicides. The Board found no evidence linking the cancer to service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
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