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.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that a VA medical opinion is needed due to lay statements, private opinions and medical literature submitted in support of the claim regarding the relationship between the Veteran's tonsillar cancer and presumed Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of left tonsil
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 11, 2022
- Citation
- 22027768
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 22027768.
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.
- Denied
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.
- 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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