The Veteran's skin cancer, including malignant melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma, was not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board found no credible evidence linking the current condition to in-service sun exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that it was less likely than not that the Veteran's skin cancer was caused by exposure to sunlight during active service.
- Claimed conditions
- malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2014
- Citation
- 1451865
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 1451865.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma is granted as secondary to his service-connected eczema and psoriasis. The initial compensable evaluation for toenail psoriasis remains denied.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and actinic keratosis as the appeal is considered duplicative of a previous decision.
- Partly granted
The Board has determined that the severance of service connection for neoplasm hard and soft tissue of the mouth was improper, as there is conflicting medical evidence regarding the cause of the condition. The Veteran's conditions are related to his active duty service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to squamous cell carcinoma, finding that there is no evidence linking it to herbicide agent exposure in Vietnam.
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