Skin cancer decisions — 2016

The Veteran's claims for service connection for skin cancer, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, a lower back injury, a bilateral knee disability, and hypertension have been denied. The Board has dismissed the claim for skin cancer due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Veteran's skin disabilities, including melanoma in situ, seborrheic keratosis, and actinic keratosis, are not presumed to be related to his service due to herbicide exposure. The VA examiner opined that these conditions are more likely than not related to a lifetime history of sun exposure outside of service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, as well as considering his service treatment records from Womack Army Medical Center.

The VA determined that the Veteran’s malignant melanoma did not originate in his lungs or concurrently develop there, and therefore it was not service-connected. The Board found no evidence to support a presumption of exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's service connection claims for multiple myeloma, recurrent skin disorder of the head, face, and hands (claimed as melanoma), and recurrent bilateral foot disorder to include fungal infections, dermatophytosis, and toenail disorders have been denied due to lack of evidence supporting a link between these conditions and his military service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for vertigo and denied service connection for skin cancer and actinic keratosis, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to service. Service connection was not granted for skin cancer or actinic keratosis due to lack of continuity of symptoms since service separation.

The Veteran's scars associated with the removal of malignant melanomas are rated at a 10 percent evaluation, effective July 9, 1997.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for skin cancer, which he claims is due to in-service exposure to ionizing radiation. The case has been remanded as the records are incomplete and further development is needed.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD due to lack of a valid diagnosis. The claim for reopening the skin cancer was opened but not decided, as it is still pending.

The Veteran's metastatic melanoma is found to be related to sun exposure during his active service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's skin cancer and associated scars are rated based on their specific manifestations, but do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating due to lack of systemic involvement or impairment of function. The current ratings assigned under the applicable diagnostic codes adequately capture the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable since June 22, 2011. The Board found no evidence of a compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss after that date. For the skin cancer claim, the Board determined there was insufficient evidence to establish service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining flight physical records and providing an opinion regarding the Veteran's skin conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for choroidal melanoma of the left eye is being remanded due to the need for a VA etiological opinion regarding his exposure to sunlight during active service.

The Veteran's service-connected herniated lower lumbar disc is rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating on an extra-schedular basis is not warranted. The Veteran's other service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board found that the Veteran's current skin cancer did not have its onset in service and is not related to his period of active duty, including exposure to herbicides. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's skin cancer is not related to his military service, including due to exposure to mustard gas or other chemicals. As such, the claim for service connection for skin cancer is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's residuals of skin cancer, including squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma, are due to significant sun exposure during his service on the flight deck aboard a carrier ship. The claim is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected scars have been rated as 50 percent disabling prior to March 30, 2016. The Veteran's squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas and actinic keratosis do not warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer has been reopened and granted due to his exposure to herbicides during service.,Service connection is also granted for kidney cancer, skin cancer, COPD, urinary incontinence as secondary to prostate cancer, and a psychiatric disability.