The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a malignancy, claimed as myeloma with loss of use of the left arm due to herbicide exposure. The Board found that multiple myeloma was not shown and therefore could not be granted based on presumptive exposure to Agent Orange. Malignant melanoma was also denied as there was no evidence linking it to service.
The deciding factor: The veteran's post-service medical records did not show any current diagnosis of multiple myeloma, and the Board found that his claim for this condition could not be granted based on presumptive exposure to Agent Orange. For malignant melanoma, the Board noted a significant gap between discharge from active duty service and the earliest documented onset of the disease.
- Claimed conditions
- malignant melanoma, loss of use of the left arm
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 3, 2008
- Citation
- 0841531
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 0841531.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for malignant melanoma, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to his active duty service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for her scars has been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of this claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA did not obtain all necessary service treatment records and failed to provide a VA medical opinion addressing the cause of death. The claim is being remanded for these actions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for malignant melanoma and lung cancer due to a failure to fully develop the record regarding toxic risk exposure activities. The Veteran's service records indicate he was exposed to herbicides during his military service, but further development is needed to include non-herbicide exposures.
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