The Board granted a 50 percent rating for squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil, effective April 9, 2021.
The deciding factor: The probative evidence supports a finding that the Veteran's residuals of left tonsil cancer are more nearly approximated by stricture of pharynx as well as difficulty with swallowing and speaking.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil, residuals of left tonsil cancer (stricture of pharynx, difficulty with swallowing and speaking)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- May 23, 2025
- Citation
- A25046531
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 931 · Granted: 42% (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 A25046531.
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 has granted the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil was related to his military service at Camp Lejeune and caused his death.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil, as there was no evidence to support a direct link between the condition and the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for service connection of squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil is remanded. The Board needs more medical evidence to determine if the condition is related to in-service herbicide exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found errors in obtaining the Veteran's private medical records and VA Forms 21-4142, and thus remanded for further action.
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