The Board found that the veteran's malignant melanoma was not present until many years after service and did not have a clear link to radiation exposure during service. Therefore, service connection for the condition cannot be granted.
The deciding factor: There is no clear evidence linking the veteran's malignant melanoma to his military service or to radiation exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Malignant Melanoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Ionizing radiation
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 24, 2005
- Citation
- 0517324
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 0517324.
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).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's malignant melanoma is granted service connection due to presumed exposure to herbicides during his active duty service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's malignant melanoma and related conditions have been granted increased ratings, effective dates for earlier effective dates, and SMC housebound status from January 18, 2024, to August 31, 2024.,Service connection has also been established for a right eye condition as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected malignant melanoma.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches as secondary to tinnitus and denied a compensable rating for a scar associated with malignant melanoma, an increased rating for tinnitus, and remanded claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and TDIU.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically failing to obtain an opinion on whether the Veteran's melanoma is related to herbicide agent exposure.
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