The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death due to recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to exposure to herbicides in service, including Agent Orange.
The deciding factor: Multiple medical opinions supported a link between the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx and his exposure to Agent Orange, with Dr. King concluding that the cancer was at least as likely as not directly caused by Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- nasopharyngeal carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 23, 2026
- Citation
- A26038039
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 A26038039.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of August 10, 2022, for the award of service connection for nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on the Veteran's claim being filed within one year of the PACT Act's passage.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a compensable rating for papillary thyroid carcinoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but granted service connection for vocal cord paralysis and odynophagia as additional residual disabilities due to the service-connected nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of mouth trauma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma are remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and medical opinions.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension is related to exposure to herbicide agents during service in the Republic of Vietnam. Service connection for hypertension is granted pursuant to the PACT Act.
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