The Board denied service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the neck, tonsil, lymph nodes, larynx, and tongue as there is no current diagnosis or evidence linking these conditions to service.
The deciding factor: There was no current diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma in any of the claimed locations. The Veteran's post-service medical records showed that his squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue did not begin until decades after separation from service, and none of the diagnoses were associated with herbicide exposure or other service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the neck, squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil, squamous cell carcinoma of the lymph nodes, squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 3, 2022
- Citation
- 22061956
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 22061956.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his military service and the cancer.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for various service connection claims have been dismissed due to his death while the appeal was pending.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, finding that it is related to active duty service due to exposure to Agent Orange.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil is granted service connection due to herbicide exposure during service. The cause of death, metastatic head cancer, is also granted as it was a contributory cause.
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