The Board remands the claims for service connection for oral cancer and the Veteran's cause of death to obtain a new medical opinion addressing the etiology of the Veteran's oral cancer, including whether it is related to his in-service actinomycosis infection or his service-connected right lower jaw scar.
The deciding factor: The existing VA opinions are not adequate as they do not fully address the significance of the 40-year gap between the in-service infection and the diagnosis of oral cancer, nor do they provide a clear rationale for their conclusions regarding secondary service connection. A new opinion is needed to properly evaluate these claims.
- Claimed conditions
- oral cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2024
- Citation
- A24072405
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of July 29, 2022 for the grant of service connection for oral cancer based on exposure to contaminated water during service in Camp LeJeune.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeal for service connection for oral cancer and a mandibular nerve disability, and these claims are dismissed.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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