The Board granted service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB in Thailand and that this exposure caused his cancer.
The deciding factor: The private physician's opinion supported a direct causal relationship between the Veteran's in-service herbicide agent exposure and his squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, meeting all elements for service connection on a direct basis.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 17, 2024
- Citation
- A24066691
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of February 1, 2021, for the award of service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and related disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and assigned a 20 percent evaluation, but denied service connection for osteoporosis, spinal stenosis, neurocognitive disorder with Alzheimer's, hypertension, and TDIU.
- Granted
The veteran's claim for service connection of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue is granted. The decision was based on evidence showing that the cancer is related to in-service exposures to Agent Orange and asbestos.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and its secondary conditions, but dismissed the appeal for other issues due to withdrawal by the Veteran.
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