Skin cancer decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete medical records and need for further examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for hepatitis C, human papilloma virus (HPV), a skin disorder to include skin cancer and penile cancer, a heart disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to incomplete records and procedural issues.

The Board denied service connection for prostate and skin cancers, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's exposure to ionizing radiation during service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for actinic keratosis and skin cancer is granted as the evidence shows a current disability, in-service incurrence of an injury (intense sun exposure), and a nexus between the claimed in-service injury and the present disability.

The Veteran's hypertension was not manifested during service and is not related to service.,The Veteran’s current disability rating of 10 percent for tinnitus is the highest schedular disability rating for tinnitus.

The claim of service connection for melanoma is denied. The claim of service connection for an eye/vision disability, prostate disability, diabetes mellitus, migraines, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathies, thyroid disability, acquired psychiatric disability (including posttraumatic stress disorder and depression), and sleep apnea are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and malignant skin neoplasms (skin cancer) are not service-connected as they did not manifest during or within one year of service, nor are they linked to his military service.,The Veteran's enlarged prostate gland is not service-connected as it did not manifest during or within one year of service, nor is it linked to his military service.,The Veteran's histoplasmosis is remanded for further evaluation due to the lack of a current diagnosis and potential connection to contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for skin cancer and salivary gland cancer due to inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if his current conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for skin cancer is denied as there is no recognized association between herbicide exposure and skin cancer. The claims for increased ratings of peripheral neuropathy are granted with initial ratings of 10 percent each prior to July 21, 2015, and subsequently rated at 40 percent each from that date onwards.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of frostbite on the left side of the Veteran's face, skin cancer of the left ear, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD). The conditions are found to be related to in-service events.

The Veteran's claims for left shoulder disability, skin cancer and skin problems, and bilateral hearing loss were denied.,An initial compensable rating of 10 percent was granted for bilateral hearing loss effective February 21, 2012.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and remanded the issue of service connection for skin cancer due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder (melanoma) is remanded due to the need for an additional VA examination and etiology opinion.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a dental disorder for compensation purposes and anxiety and PTSD are also remanded as they require further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and skin disease, including metastatic melanoma, due to outstanding VA treatment records and Social Security Administration (SSA) disability records. The Veteran was unable to attend VA examinations for his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's neck disability is not service-connected as it did not occur in service and there is no evidence of a chronic condition. The current diagnosis is related to an on-the-job injury after separation from service.,The Veteran's basal cell skin cancer was diagnosed many years after service, and the VA examiner concluded that exposure to herbicides during service is not associated with causing this type of skin cancer.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome was denied in December 2002 and reopened in September 2015. The evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to support the claim, so it is not new and material.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for skin cancer was denied in December 2006 and reopened in September 2015. The evidence relates to an unestablished fact (a link between a current disability and an in-service injury) necessary to support the claim, so it is new and material.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a right foot bone chip fracture was denied in March 2003 and reopened in September 2015. The evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to support the claim, so it is not new and material.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability was denied in this decision. The evidence does not show that the current disability is proximately due or aggravated by a service-connected condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral eye disability was denied in this decision. The evidence does not show that the current disability is proximately due or aggravated by a service-connected condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease was denied in this decision. The evidence does not show that the current disability is proximately due or aggravated by a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service. The cases will be reviewed again once this information is obtained.

The Veteran's skin cancer is presumed due to herbicide exposure, but the Board cannot make a determination without further examination as basal cell carcinoma is not considered a presumptive disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of skin cancer, finding that there was no reasonable possibility that his skin cancer was caused by in-service exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have prostate cancer, but he has been diagnosed with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). The issues of entitlement to service connection for chloracne and skin cancers are remanded due to a need for medical opinions regarding herbicide exposure during service.