Skin cancer decisions — 2023

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to COPD and bronchitis, finding that these conditions did not contribute substantially or materially to his death. The Board also found no evidence suggesting that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or contributed to his death.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for basal cell carcinoma to obtain an opinion on whether the Veteran's condition is related to in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for skin cancer (Basal cell carcinoma) is remanded due to insufficient verification of his exposure to Agent Orange during service. The Board will attempt to verify the in-service herbicide agent exposure and provide a formal finding.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma, finding that there is no causal relationship between these conditions and his in-service sun exposure or treatment. The Board also found that the skin disabilities are not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected bladder cancer.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for skin cancer, finding that his skin cancer was not incurred in or due to his time in service, including exposure to herbicide agents. The Board considered the Veteran's statements and found them less probative than the medical evidence.

The Board has determined that the case is unripe for appellate review due to developmental deficiencies and remands the matter for further development regarding service connection for skin cancer scars of the head.