Skin cancer decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the case due to a request for a copy of the July 2021 VA examination report and information about its qualifications.

The Board has granted service connection for choroidal melanoma in the right eye and dry eyes, finding that these conditions are related to radiation exposure during military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of skin cancer, including basosquamous cell carcinoma on the right forearm and nodular basal cell carcinoma on the scalp. The Board found that there is no evidence linking these conditions to service or to exposure to herbicides.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's claimed herbicide exposure during his service at Kwang Ju AB. The appellant contends that he had exposure on a contaminated C-123 aircraft and while working on EC-121 aircraft, but VA records do not support these claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including melanoma, nasal cavity growth, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and vision disability. The Veteran is to be provided with VA examinations to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted due to his service-connected PTSD. The neuropathy and melanoma claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for respiratory conditions and skin condition due to incomplete medical records and inadequate opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions. The AOJ is instructed to obtain relevant medical records, schedule examinations, and provide a SOC on the hypertension claim.

The Veteran's service-connected melanoma does not meet the schedular percentage requirements for a TDIU prior to March 30, 2018. The Board is remanding the matter to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b) due to its prohibition from assigning a TDIU on the basis of 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b).

The Board has denied service connection for skin cancer due to lack of a medical nexus. The cases for lung disease and sleep apnea are remanded as the VA examinations did not adequately address the Veteran's in-service symptoms.

The Veteran's cause of death, metastatic malignant melanoma, is found to be related to his active service.

The Veteran's skin condition, including as due to herbicide agent exposure and/or sunlight exposure, is not service connected because there is no evidence of a nexus between the current conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for skin conditions, including basal cell carcinoma and seborrheic keratosis, due to exposure to herbicide agents or sun exposure during active duty. The claim is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disability, including basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, and squamous cell carcinoma, finding that there is not an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence to support the claim.

The appeals for PTSD, COPD, and a skin disorder have all been dismissed due to the appellant's death.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete development and new theories of entitlement raised by the Veteran's representative.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for skin cancer and related conditions due to inadequate medical opinions regarding causation.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left shoulder melanoma, including consideration of his service treatment records and exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development regarding the Veteran's claimed herbicide agent exposures, including contacting the Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC) and requesting more information from the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as the audiometric results did not warrant a compensable disability rating.,The Board remanded the claims for type II diabetes mellitus and skin cancer due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the Veteran's exposure during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board denied service connection for skin cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma as the Veteran was not exposed to radiation during service and there is no evidence of these conditions having onset during or within one year of discharge.