Skin cancer decisions — 2023

The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection for coronary artery calcifications, arthritis, varicose veins, and skin cancer as they have been granted in previous decisions.

The Veteran's skin cancer is granted as service-connected due to exposure to herbicide agents. The rating for CAD prior to October 28, 2019, and the rating for bilateral hearing loss are both denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, BPH, skin cancer, and COPD due to in-service herbicide exposure. The RO must obtain an adequate etiological opinion that considers the Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms during service and his in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for metastatic cancer to the liver, colon cancer, skin cancer, and cervical cancer as there is no evidence linking these conditions to her military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder, claimed as melanoma, due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and/or exposure to herbicide agents. The case is being returned for additional development including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling an in-person VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral lower extremity disability and skin disorder due to insufficient examination reports and lack of medical opinions addressing the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for metastatic malignant melanoma, finding that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between his in-service exposure to herbicide agents and his current condition. The earliest diagnosis of the cancer was decades after service.

The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma were not incurred during service or related to presumed herbicide exposure. The Board denied the claims for service connection.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and no service connection was granted or denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for skin cancer, a respiratory disability (claimed as trouble breathing), type II diabetes mellitus, and bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not establish current disabilities or link them to service.

The Veteran's Hodgkin's disease, prostate cancer, and diabetes mellitus are granted as presumptively related to herbicide exposure. The claim for skin cancer is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and medical opinion, specifically addressing the Veteran's service connection claim for malignant melanoma. The examiner is asked to provide an informed opinion considering the Veteran's in-service sun exposure, age at the time of service, research articles submitted by the Veteran, and a private opinion regarding arsenic exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his claimed skin disabilities and melanoma, including exposure to chemical agents like jet fuel, herbicide exposure, radiation exposure, and/or asbestos exposure. The case will be reviewed again with additional development in place.

The Board has denied service connection for schwannoma tumors and skin cancer, finding no evidence of a nexus to active duty service. The Board also found that the Veteran was not exposed to ionizing radiation during service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for actinic keratosis and skin cancer, both secondary to exposure to herbicide agents. The claim for adverse reaction to vaccinations in the left upper arm is also being remanded.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal link between the Veteran's service-connected pleural asbestosis and his death from metastatic lung carcinoma.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for low back disability and bilateral hip and leg disability as secondary to service-connected residuals of prostate cancer, due to a lack of adequate medical opinions addressing causation or aggravation by brachytherapy. The issue of service connection for skin cancer is also remanded due to inadequate examination.,The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for skin cancer, to include as due to herbicide agent exposure, due to an inadequate examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for skin cancer, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of melanoma, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin condition and residuals of skin cancer due to inadequate compliance with previous remand instructions, particularly regarding an examination by a dermatologist. The AOJ is instructed to obtain any outstanding medical records and request an advisory opinion from an independent medical expert specializing in dermatology.