Skin cancer decisions — 2022

The Veteran's skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, are found to be related to his service. His appeal for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss has been withdrawn.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, ischemic heart disease, and right eye melanoma are denied as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during his active service or are otherwise related to any in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's malignant melanoma of the left bicep is granted service connection due to in-service exposure to herbicide agents. The issues regarding basal cell carcinoma and atypical melanocytes are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's prostate cancer and skin cancer are granted service connection due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's glaucoma is denied as not related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, including whether psoriasis was caused by in-service herbicide exposure. The appeal is still pending and requires further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes, hypertension, prostate cancer, and skin cancer as there is no persuasive evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or chronic conditions during service.

The Board has remanded the cases of skin cancer and dermatomyositis for further development due to inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran's service connection claims are being reviewed again.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's skin cancer is related to his time in active duty. The VA will need to provide a medical opinion on this issue.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, diabetic retinopathy, hypertension, and related conditions are granted. The Veteran is presumed to have been exposed to herbicide agents during service, which supports his claims for these disabilities.

The Board has readjudicated the claim of service connection for choroidal melanoma, dry eye, glaucoma, and optic atrophy of the right eye due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The Board found that this evidence is relevant but not sufficient to establish service connection as it does not show a relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's period of active service or any service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examinations and missing clinical documentation. The Veteran's skin disability is related to service, including herbicide exposure and sun exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claims for chronic cell leukemia and skin cancer have been granted due to exposure to contaminants during his active duty in Beaufort, South Carolina.

The Board denied service connection for an eye disability, finding that the Veteran's conditions are not related to his in-service incident and that there is no evidence of a nexus between any current eye condition and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for entitlement to service connection for skin cancer and a low back disability due to additional evidentiary development being necessary.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, have rendered him unemployable due to physical limitations and functional impairments. His claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for further assessment of his radiation exposure and medical opinions regarding the etiology of his skin conditions and burning mouth syndrome.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been reopened due to the PACT Act. The Board has granted service connection for hypertension based on presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. Other claims, including COPD and left knee disability, are remanded for further development.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's skin cancer may be related to his presumed herbicide agent exposure during service, and thus remands the case for a VA examination to provide an opinion on this issue.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for undiagnosed Gulf War Illness manifested by a muscle condition, joint condition due to Gulf War (claimed as joints and muscle condition due to gulf war), skin cancer, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and acquired psychiatric disorder to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been dismissed.

The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability, and the Board is remanding for further examination regarding whether his death could be related to Agent Orange exposure or other disabilities.