The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that exposure to ionizing radiation did not contribute to his death and that there was no evidence linking the melanoma to his period of service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not establish a relationship between the veteran's exposure to ionizing radiation in service and the development of malignant melanoma, which caused his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Endstage metastatic melanoma
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2002
- Citation
- 0203572
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0203572.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
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