The Board remands the claims for service connection for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and residuals of surgery associated with it due to insufficient evidence regarding their relation to active duty, including potential exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for an examination and medical opinion to address the potential relationship between the Veteran's condition and toxic exposures during service, particularly given his assignment to Camp Lejeune.
- Claimed conditions
- oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, residuals of surgery associated with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 28, 2025
- Citation
- A25018566
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,948 · 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 A25018566.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma to obtain a VA examination and medical opinion, as all elements of the McLendon criteria are met.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of August 12, 2023, for service connection for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and DIC based on the cause of death due to this condition, which is presumed to be related to exposure to herbicide agents during active service. The Veteran's immediate cause of death was oral squamous cell carcinoma.
- Granted
The Veteran's oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma is related to his exposure to herbicide agents during military service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.
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