The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil, finding that there was no evidence linking the cancer to his military service or toxic exposures.
The deciding factor: All medical opinions attributed the Veteran's tonsillar cancer to his established history of smoking for 30 years, which is by far the leading cause of tonsillar cancer. The medical experts have all offered the opinion that the Veteran's toxic exposure in service was less likely than not responsible for the Veteran's tonsillar cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2025
- Citation
- 25008996
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 25008996.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of medical opinion and consideration of prior service. The claim for service connection for cause of death is being reconsidered.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a back disability and squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil, finding that both conditions are at least as likely as not caused by the Veteran's active duty service. The claimant's significant exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam is considered relevant evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil and a back disorder due to inadequate opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran served in Vietnam, including with the Combat Action Ribbon.
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