Skin cancer Board decisions

The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against finding service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and malignant melanoma.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have metastatic melanoma due to service or exposure to ionizing radiation. The claim for cause of death was denied as there is no evidence linking the Veteran's death to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus secondary to Agent Orange exposure, chronic anemia as secondary to prostate cancer and Agent Orange exposure, skin cancer, lumbar spine disability, and residuals of a right leg burn have been denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals at the local regional office.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for skin cancer and a skin condition due to incomplete VA treatment records from the Allen Park VA hospital, and an additional medical opinion is required.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for skin disability, including skin cancer, and asthma. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board found new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection for skin cancer and rashes, but determined that it was not sufficient to establish service connection due to lack of medical nexus.

The Veteran's service connection claims for allergies, Morton's neuroma, and thumb injuries are granted. The Board finds the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for multiple myeloma, malignant melanoma, lipoma, an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), peripheral neuropathy or burning and tingling sensations in the feet, and arthritis of the left shoulder, left hip, and cervical spine have been denied as not related to service or herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of spider bites, fibromyalgia as secondary to spider bites, skin cancer as secondary to mustard gas exposure, and arthritis or degenerative joint disease as secondary to spider bites. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate dose estimates and opinions regarding the Veteran's fatal cancer.

The Veteran's initial compensable evaluation for basal cell carcinoma, skin cancer, was granted from November 15, 1992, to April 30, 2007. On or after April 30, 2007, the Veteran received a 10 percent evaluation.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's death to service-connected conditions, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board found that the Veteran's current malignant melanoma of the left abdominal wall was not incurred in or aggravated by his active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for malignant melanoma was denied, but his claim for a higher disability rating for degenerative disc disease with spondylosis and stenosis was granted at a 20% rating.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that his melanoma disability was incurred in or aggravated by his active military service. The Board also found no evidence to support the appellant's claim that her husband's membranous glomerulonephritis contributed to his death.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for service connection for a low back disability, bilateral ear disability, and skin cancer on the left face and arm. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's bone cancer and skin cancer claims are remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records from private providers and determining the extent of his exposure to ionizing radiation during service. The skin cancer claim will also be reviewed for a possible secondary service connection theory based on in-service sun exposure.

The Veteran died of widely metastatic melanoma, and the weight of evidence does not reflect that he had separate lung cancer at the time of death. The Board finds that his death was not principally or contributorily caused by a disease or injury incurred or aggravated as a result of military service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for choroidal melanoma, which he contends is related to his exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, was denied as the condition does not fall under the enumerated soft tissue sarcomas eligible for presumptive service connection based on Agent Orange exposure.