Skin cancer decisions — 2011

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if any current skin cancer or residuals thereof are possibly related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cancer was denied as the evidence did not establish that his primary cancer originated in service or due to exposure to herbicides. The cause of death, metastatic melanoma, was also not service-connected.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a skin examination to assess the severity of his multiple skin cancers and their residuals.

The Veteran's claims for skin cancer and prostate cancer as a result of exposure to ionizing radiation during service have been denied. The VA examination did not find any evidence of skin cancer, and the Veteran's prostate cancer is not related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher evaluations for PTSD and service connection for skin cancer and intestinal cancer, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board found that the evidence submitted since the May 2001 rating decision is not material and does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims for service connection for skin rash and skin cancer of forehead, face, and neck.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicide exposure in Vietnam, which could potentially grant service connection for prostate cancer and skin cancer. The case will be returned to the RO/AMC for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between his current diagnoses and his military service, including presumed exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's scar, left deltoid, secondary to malignant melanoma surgery, is rated at 10 percent. The Board has granted a separate 30 percent rating for the moderately severe muscle injury of the left deltoid.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for porphyria cutanea tarda, skin cancer, and skin warts were denied as the evidence did not establish a link to his military service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board denied service connection for skin cancer and prostate and urinary tract disorders, to include as due to Agent Orange exposure. The Veteran's skin cancer was not present during service or for many years thereafter, and the Board found no evidence linking it to his period of service, including any presumed Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has determined that there is no competent medical evidence or opinion suggesting a medical nexus between the Veteran's colon cancer and service, to include in-service radiation exposure. Similarly, there is no such evidence for skin cancer. As a result, both claims are denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sebaceous cysts on his back, skin cancer on his nose and hands, polycythemia vera, and hypoglycemia. The evidence did not support a finding of exposure to herbicides or any other presumptive conditions.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for renal failure, heart disease, prostate cancer, removal of the gallbladder, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, skin cancer, and residuals of head trauma. The evidence does not establish herbicide exposure during active duty service.

The Board has withdrawn the claim for basal cell carcinoma, claimed as skin cancer, and to include as a residual of exposure to Agent Orange during service. The Veteran's hypertension was not shown in service or within one year post-service, and there is no evidence linking it to service. As such, service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Veteran's cause of death was not related to his service-connected anxiety disorder, and the Board found that it did not contribute substantially or materially to his death. The issue of an increased rating for an anxiety reaction is pending.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and renal insufficiency. The RO has not obtained all of the Veteran's private medical records from Dr. Clemis Jackson or his Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits records. These records are necessary to make a full determination on the claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical and lumbar spines, peripheral neuropathy, and skin cancer have been denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active military service. The Board found that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam or on inland waterways where he could be presumed exposed to herbicides.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, hypertrophic actinic keratosis, skin cancer (general), Barrett's esophagus, and fractured vertebrae, lumbar spine. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of a cold injury of the scalp with scar are currently rated at 20 percent effective November 5, 2010. The condition is manifested by complaints of pain and paresthesias associated with multiple scars.