The Board denied service connection for throat cancer and a rating in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea. The claims for a compensable rating for headaches, a rating in excess of 10 percent for GERD, and effective dates prior to November 5, 2024, for TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 were remanded.
The deciding factor: The service treatment records do not refer to throat cancer, and the post-service record does not reflect that it has been diagnosed or otherwise identified. The obstructive sleep apnea is manifested by no more than the use of a prescribed CPAP machine, snoring, fatigue, and persistent daytime hypersomnolence.
- Claimed conditions
- throat cancer, obstructive sleep apnea, headaches, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 3, 2025
- Citation
- A25048713
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and pernicious anemia, and the Board dismissed both appeals.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error.
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