Skin cancer decisions — 2005

The claim is being remanded due to conflicting opinions on the likelihood that the veteran's fatal melanoma was related to sun exposure during service in the Republic of Vietnam. A medical opinion is needed from an oncologist.

The Board found that the veteran's skin cancer and kidney stones were not incurred in or aggravated by service, including as due to herbicide exposure. The claims for these conditions were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including tinnitus, thyroid disease, cataracts, skin cancer, arthritis, and dermatitis. The effective dates for these decisions were not established as they are typically based on when entitlement arose or when a claim was received.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence, except for a finding that his skin cancer may be related to exposure to herbicides in service. The other conditions were not found to be incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board determined that the veteran's current respiratory disorder and skin cancer were not due to disease or injury in service, including exposure to herbicides. As such, these claims for service connection are denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for skin cancer and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding no evidence of a causal relationship to service or herbicide exposure.

The veteran seeks service connection for a skin disorder, including skin cancer and actinic keratosis, due to exposure to herbicide agents. The claim is being remanded for further development.

The Board denied the claim for service connection of the cause of death due to exposure to ionizing radiation in service, concluding that there was no reasonable possibility that the veteran's skin cancer and death were attributable to such exposure.

The veteran's claim for service connection for an abdominal melanoma due to Agent Orange exposure is being remanded because the VA needs to obtain medical records and schedule a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including examinations and medical opinions to address service connection for skin cancer due to exposure to Agent Orange and PTSD and kidney disease.

The Board found no evidence of melanoma in service or within the presumptive period after service, and there is no medical nexus between the veteran's exposure to herbicides in Vietnam and his development of melanoma. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of an examination, and further development is needed.

The Board found that the evidence did not demonstrate a connection between the veteran's malignant melanoma and his military service, thus denying his claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service medical records and VA treatment records. The veteran's claims for service connection for stomach cancer and skin cancer, as well as an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, are pending.

The Board found that the veteran's malignant melanoma was not present until many years after service and did not have a clear link to radiation exposure during service. Therefore, service connection for the condition cannot be granted.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his knee disabilities were granted, with a 20 percent evaluation assigned for each knee. The claim for service connection for actinic keratoses (claimed as skin cancer) was also granted and reopened on the basis of new evidence.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding no evidence linking any disability to his service or within one year of service.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for compensation pursuant to 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 was denied because there was no evidence of negligence or fault on VA's part in causing additional disability resulting from the December 6, 1996 surgery.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for skin cancer, claimed as due to mustard gas exposure. The evidence did not show a link between his current conditions and military service.

The veteran is seeking service connection for skin cancer and basal cell carcinoma. The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any current skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma.