Skin cancer decisions — 2021

The Veteran's skin cancer, including melanoma and basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, is related to his service. Service connection for these conditions has been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease with strain, lumbar spine and skin cancer. The Veteran's back disability is due to an in-service injury, while his skin cancer is related to exposure to nuclear warheads during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for skin cancer of the left side of the face and lesions of the left side of the face (claimed as skin abrasions, secondary to skin cancer) are both granted. The Board found that the Veteran's current conditions were related to his in-service sun exposure with associated sunburns.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate November 2019 VA examination report and a lack of discussion on sun exposure. The Veteran's claim for service connection for skin cancer is now pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting opinions and further development is required.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's skin cancer and its relation to service, specifically herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, skin cancer, diabetes mellitus, and thyroid cancer due to alleged exposure to herbicide agents during his service in the Panama Canal Zone. The Board requested verification of such exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied due to lack of new and material evidence. The claim for service connection for Skin Cancer is remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to concerns about the competency of the VA examiner who provided opinions on the Veteran's skin conditions and psychiatric disorders. The Veteran's attorney requested additional information, including a curriculum vitae and research articles published by the examiner.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and skin cancer, as there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service or any service-connected disabilities.,Specifically, the Board found that BPPV and OSA are not related to his military service or any service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's skin cancer was also denied because it did not begin during active service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for her service-connected malignant melanoma is remanded due to the need for new VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for skin cancer, finding that the Veteran's in-service sunburns are more likely than not related to his current skin cancer.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for skin cancer with residual scarring is reopened, and the issue of entitlement to service connection for a skin disability, including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma, is remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to be related to service, as there is no evidence of chronic symptoms during or immediately after service. The Board finds that the current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are less likely caused by in-service noise exposure.,The Veteran's degenerative changes of the right shoulder had onset in service and has been continuously present since then.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error in failing to schedule him for a VA Scars/Disfigurement examination, which was necessary to properly rate his service-connected skin cancer and scars.

The Veteran's hypertension is associated with his service-connected sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition on a secondary basis. The claim of service connection for skin cancer remains pending as it requires further examination.

The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer and skin cancer, both of which are presumed to be related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The VA examiner found no causal link between the Veteran's conditions and his time at Camp Lejeune.,The Veteran was not granted service connection as his prostate cancer and skin cancer were not shown to have onset during active service or within one year of separation, nor are they otherwise related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left shoulder melanoma.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for COPD and sleep apnea due to a pre-decisional error. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the COPD and sleep apnea issues.

The Veteran's cause of death was attributed to multiple brain intercerebral tumors, which were found to be related to his exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and herbicide agents during service in Vietnam. His melanoma is considered a result of his sun exposure, not directly from service-connected conditions.