The Veteran's right tonsil squamous cell carcinoma is not service-connected as it did not occur during his military service and there is no evidence linking the condition to herbicide exposure. The Board denied the claim based on lack of in-service disease or injury, absence of a current disability related to service, and insufficient evidence to link the cancer to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's right tonsil squamous cell carcinoma was not diagnosed until many years after his military service ended, and there is no medical evidence linking it to any event, injury, or disease during service. The Board found that the claim could not be granted based on presumptive exposure to herbicide agents as well.
- Claimed conditions
- right tonsil squamous cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2022
- Citation
- 22016708
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 22016708.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted restoration of the 100 percent disability rating for right tonsil squamous cell carcinoma and denied restoration of a 30 percent disability rating for loss of teeth with rampant decay, while also granting restoration of special monthly compensation.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for various cancers and lymph node conditions, finding that the evidence does not support a link to service or any presumptive exposure. The cancers were diagnosed many years after separation from service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right tonsil squamous cell carcinoma, finding that there was no evidence of a direct relationship to his military service and noting that smoking tobacco use is a known risk factor for this type of cancer.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA efforts in obtaining relevant private treatment records and addressing the Veteran's theory of entitlement related to jet fuel exposure. The Veteran is also seeking service connection for his right tonsil squamous cell carcinoma, which may be secondary to herbicide, asbestos, or jet fuel exposures.
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