The veteran's service connection for hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and related conditions was granted. Service connection for cataracts was denied, and issues regarding dry mouth and teeth removal were remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma is causally or etiologically related to exposure to herbicides in service.
- Claimed conditions
- hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, residuals of left pectoralis muscle removal, loss of the sense of taste, loss of the sense of smell, residuals of voice box removal, scars of the neck, limited mobility of left side, cataracts, dry mouth, teeth removal and oral bone loss
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 27, 2025
- Citation
- A25006827
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,421 · Granted: 31% (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 A25006827.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss claims are denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.,The Veteran's high cholesterol, dementia, stroke, prostate cancer, cataracts, diabetes, hypertension, CHF, and myocardial infarction claims are denied due to lack of service connection evidence or insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the disabilities and active duty service.,The Veteran was exposed to toxins during his military service but there is no evidence linking these exposures to any of the claimed conditions.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection of cataracts has been dismissed due to the appellant's death prior to a Board decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral eye condition should be remanded due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors and the need for an updated TERA Memorandum. The Veteran was not provided with a VA examination, and her allegations of exposure during basic training were not addressed.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeals.
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