The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence on whether the Veteran's tonsil cancer is related to herbicide agent exposure, specifically Agent Orange. The RO should request an addendum medical opinion discussing the relationship of the tonsil cancer to the respiratory system and whether it was related to herbicide agent exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board requested an addendum medical opinion due to insufficient evidence on the relationship between the Veteran's tonsil cancer and herbicide agent exposure, specifically Agent Orange.
- Claimed conditions
- left tonsil cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 10, 2022
- Citation
- 22007620
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 22007620.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted effective dates of September 4, 2021, for the grant of service connection for COPD, lymph node cancer, left femur cancer, and left tonsil cancer. The Veteran's TDIU claim was also granted with an effective date of September 4, 2021.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for sinusitis, vertigo/disbalance, and a thyroid disorder but remanded claims for allergic rhinitis, left tonsil cancer, headache disorder, pulmonary granulomatosis, and dysphagia.
- Granted
The Veteran's left tonsil cancer, also claimed as neck cancer, is granted service connection due to exposure to HPV during military service and due to toxic exposure in Southwest Asia under the PACT Act.
- Denied
The Veteran's oral cancer is not service connected as it was not present during his active duty and there is no evidence linking the condition to his military service or exposure to herbicides.
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