The Veteran's oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (P16 type) is granted on a presumptive basis due to presumed exposure to burn pits during his service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.
The deciding factor: The Veteran served in the Southwest Asia theater of operations and has been found to have a current disability of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (P16 type), which is an enumerated disease related to service for Veterans with presumed exposure to burn pits under the PACT Act.
- Claimed conditions
- oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (P16 type), throat cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2026
- Citation
- A26003806
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 A26003806.
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
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- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for throat cancer service connection was dismissed due to their death during the appeal process.
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