The Board has granted service connection for tonsil cancer, but has remanded the issues of service connection for scleroderma, neck cancer, neck scar with residual numbness, loss of sense of taste, and removal of lymph nodes due to lack of definitive opinions on their relationship to the Veteran's service-connected tonsil cancer.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current conditions are related to his service-connected tonsil cancer. However, additional medical opinions were needed to address secondary service connection for scleroderma and other conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- tonsil cancer, scleroderma, neck cancer, neck scar with residual numbness, loss of sense of taste, removal of lymph nodes
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 23, 2022
- Citation
- 22047929
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 22047929.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for loss of sense of taste, loss of sense of smell, and pelvic condition are denied. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder beyond unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder is also denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's tinnitus had onset during active duty service and is granted. The claims for TBI, migraines as secondary to TBI, an eye disability as secondary to TBI, anosmia as secondary to TBI, loss of sense of taste as secondary to TBI, athlete's foot, ingrown toenails, foot pain, joint pain, low back disability, and acne are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment since June 30, 2018. The Board has granted a TDIU effective July 1, 2018.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to their death. The claims for special monthly compensation, scleroderma service connection, Raynaud's disease service connection, bilateral hearing loss rating, and PTSD rating are not currently before the Board.
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