Skin cancer decisions — 2010

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred between July 1, 2006 and July 31, 2006 are not covered by VA because the treatment was not for an emergent condition of such a nature that delay in seeking immediate medical attention would have been hazardous to life or health.

The Veteran's skin condition, including skin cancer and actinic keratosis, is being remanded for further examination to determine if it is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for malignant melanoma is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and verifying in-service radiation exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the left knee and skin cancer, to include as secondary to herbicide exposure, were denied. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluation of chronic dermatitis eczematoid and service connection for skin cancer, PTSD, and transient global amnesia were denied as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 were denied as his additional gastrointestinal disability, skin disability, and lower extremity disability are not considered to be the result of carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, or error in judgment on the part of VA.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not experience continuous symptoms of any of his claimed disabilities after service separation, and therefore, he is not entitled to service connection for cardiomegaly, gout, skin cancer (claimed as mole cancer), residuals of a fracture of the left 7th rib, pulmonary fibrosis, or urinary tract infection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for colon cancer and skin cancer, both claimed as secondary to exposure to ionizing radiation and asbestos, are denied. The Board found no evidence of current diagnoses or in-service exposures that would support these claims.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran was exposed to asbestos during service, which could potentially affect his claims for service connection for malignant melanoma and mesothelioma.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain VA treatment records and review the claim for service connection of skin cancer as secondary to residuals of sunstroke.

The Veteran's death was attributed to metastatic malignant melanoma of the brain, which is believed to be related to his service-connected melanoma of the left shoulder. The Board has determined that a VA evaluation would be helpful in resolving these issues.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to include obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to malignant melanoma, finding that there was conflicting medical evidence regarding whether the condition is related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no link between his metastatic melanoma and his service. The appellant's contentions regarding diabetes as a contributory cause were not supported by medical evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for myoclonus of the lower extremities and left eye were denied. The skin condition claim is pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing records related to the Veteran's ionizing radiation exposure and laboratory studies. The Veteran is seeking service connection for skin cancer and thrombocytopenia, which were previously denied.

The Veteran seeks service connection for skin cancer, to include as secondary to ionizing radiation exposure during military service. The case is remanded due to the need to consider whether there is at least a 50% probability that the skin cancer resulted from in-service radiation exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's skin disorders, including seborrheic dermatitis, actinic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and nonrecurring melanoma in situ of left lower eyelid status post excision, are not related to service or any known exposure. As a result, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Veteran seeks service connection for skin cancer, which he claims is related to sun exposure during his military service. The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional evidence and an examination.

The Veteran's service connection claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder and skin cancer due to radiation exposure were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for either condition.