The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for basal cell carcinoma of the face, right forearm, and right ear, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service or exposure to Agent Orange.
The deciding factor: The VA found that the veteran did not have a current disability related to his in-service exposure to Agent Orange, as evidenced by the absence of any active lesions on examination. The examiner concluded that the veteran's constitutional predisposition to develop actinic keratosis and subsequent basal cell carcinomas would have occurred regardless of his service.
- Claimed conditions
- basal cell carcinoma of the face, basal cell carcinoma of the right forearm, basal cell carcinoma of the right ear
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 5, 2005
- Citation
- 0532984
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0532984.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's ear conditions, including bilateral otitis and basal cell carcinoma on the right ear. The examiner is requested to provide an opinion as to whether any diagnosed ear disorder or disability is at least as likely as not related to service-connected frostbite of ears.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed due to his death. The claims are not considered active as the appellant is deceased.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and potential exposure to ionizing radiation and/or herbicides. The claims will be further evaluated with additional medical opinions and evidence.
- Denied
The Board found that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claim of exposure to nuclear testing at White Sands, New Mexico during service. The Board also noted that there was no in-service diagnosis or treatment for basal cell carcinoma and concluded that the current condition is not related to service.
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