The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of oral cancer, including loss of half of the tongue and other related surgeries, is granted. The Board also notes that his speech difficulty may be related to his service-connected oral cancer.
The deciding factor: The private physician provided a nexus opinion linking the Veteran's traditional squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue to multiple exposures to carcinogens during service, including asbestos and sulfuric acid.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of oral cancer, speech difficulty
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 6, 2023
- Citation
- 23048804
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 23048804.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA opinions and a need for further development, including obtaining a new VA opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's claimed conditions and his in-service asbestos exposure.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of asbestos exposure, including asbestosis, COPD, and oral cancer. The AOJ needs to determine if the Veteran was exposed to TERA during his military service and provide a TERA examination.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's stroke was misdiagnosed as a side effect of medication, leading to delayed treatment and resulting in additional disabilities. The Board has granted compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the misdiagnosis.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, other than PTSD and MDD, has been considered in the grant of service connection for PTSD and MDD. Therefore, no justiciable case or controversy is before the Board.
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