The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his military service and the development of the cancer. The Board noted that squamous cell carcinoma is not among the diseases subject to presumptive service connection based on exposure to herbicides.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion found no credible medical evidence of a causal link between the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx and herbicide exposure, and indicated that the etiology was most likely smoking tobacco. The Board also noted that there is no probative evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's military service and the development of his carcinoma.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 27, 2023
- Citation
- 23067799
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 23067799.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma is granted as secondary to his service-connected eczema and psoriasis. The initial compensable evaluation for toenail psoriasis remains denied.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and actinic keratosis as the appeal is considered duplicative of a previous decision.
- Partly granted
The Board has determined that the severance of service connection for neoplasm hard and soft tissue of the mouth was improper, as there is conflicting medical evidence regarding the cause of the condition. The Veteran's conditions are related to his active duty service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to squamous cell carcinoma, finding that there is no evidence linking it to herbicide agent exposure in Vietnam.
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