Skin cancer decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right and left hand tremors, prostate disorder, status post precancerous lymphoma removal, hypertension, and skin cancers. The reasons include potential exposure to Agent Orange during active duty in Vietnam.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a heart condition, residuals of basal cell carcinoma, residuals of melanoma, and sterility are being remanded due to the need for new medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a failure to provide adequate duty-to-assist findings regarding deck logs and command history of the USS Valley Forge. The claims are related to herbicide agent exposure.

The appeal to reopen the claim for service connection for residuals of a right ankle injury is granted. The appeal as to entitlement to service connection for melanoma is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and skin cancer due to a duty-to-assist error. The VA will need to provide an adequate medical opinion regarding whether these conditions are related to service, particularly considering the Veteran's weight gain and potential herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination and opinion regarding service connection for skin cancer. The Veteran seeks service connection based on exposure during active duty at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to March 11, 2019 was denied as the evidence did not show that he became unemployable before this date.

The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability, and his melanoma, including cecal malignant melanoma, did not manifest within one year of discharge. The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's conditions to military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's skin cancer was caused by in-service sun exposure, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the AOJ failed to clarify whether the Veteran's claim for service connection was for a new condition or an increased rating. The claims of entitlement to service connection for malignant melanoma, right upper extremity and lung cancer are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for the cause of death due to a fatal melanoma, as the Veteran's presence in the Republic of Vietnam is unclear. The PACT Act may apply if confirmed.

The Veteran's melanoma, psoriasis, and allergic rhinitis are found to be caused by exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) during his military service at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has found errors in obtaining all relevant treatment records, particularly those related to the Veteran's dementia and skin cancer. The case is being remanded for the AOJ to obtain these records and associate them with the claims file.

The Veteran's melanoma of the right foot was granted service connection on a presumptive basis as it manifested within one year of his separation from service. The issues of service connection for headaches and bilateral foot disability are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The issue will be readjudicated, taking into consideration the new and relevant evidence provided by the Veteran.

All issues of service connection for various conditions have been dismissed due to improper appeal or untimely submission.

The Veteran's cause of death was not related to his military service, including any in-service dental work or ionizing radiation exposure. The Board denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims for skin cancer and sleep apnea due to inadequate medical opinions in the prior VA examinations. The left thumb condition claim is granted.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed. The Board found no evidence of these conditions in service or within one year post-service, and the Veteran did not provide sufficient medical evidence to establish a link between his current disabilities and service.,The Veteran was also denied an increased rating for duodenitis with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as there is no evidence showing severe symptoms that would warrant a higher rating.

The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for residuals of skin cancer due to a lack of compliance with previous remand directives and additional theories of entitlement.