The Veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil or its residuals was denied as there is no evidence that the condition began during service, is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease, and is not a result of smoking secondary to service-connected PTSD.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's left tonsil cancer was diagnosed prior to the period on appeal and is not considered to be related to active service due to lack of evidence showing onset during service. The condition is also not found to be related to exposure to herbicide agents or service-connected conditions, including smoking secondary to PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of left tonsil
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 9, 2022
- Citation
- 22013345
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 22013345.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of a VA opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of left tonsil, status post radiation. The examiner is requested to provide an opinion as to whether there is a nearly equal or greater chance that the Veteran's condition is causally related to service, including presumed exposure to herbicides.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional medical examination and to obtain missing service treatment records.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil, hypothyroidism secondary to cancer treatment, and hypogeusia (diminished sense of taste) due to radiation therapy. The issues related to fibrosis of the neck, dysphagia, and caries due to dry mouth are remanded.
- Denied
The Board found that the veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil, actinic keratosis of arms, ears and head, and numbness of the left foot are not related to his military service or exposure to Agent Orange. As a result, these claims were denied.
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