The Veteran's skin disabilities, including melanoma in situ, seborrheic keratosis, and actinic keratosis, are not presumed to be related to his service due to herbicide exposure. The VA examiner opined that these conditions are more likely than not related to a lifetime history of sun exposure outside of service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's skin disabilities were diagnosed many decades after service and are more likely attributable to prolonged sun exposure, rather than service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Melanoma in situ, Seborrheic keratosis, Actinic keratosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2016
- Citation
- 1641830
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 1641830.
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.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's original 60% disability rating for seborrheic keratosis, effective November 1, 2020, as the reduction was improper due to insufficient evidence of sustained improvement in his condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for arterioslerotic heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, chloracne, dermatitis, folliculitis, actinic keratosis, and dyshydrosis have been granted.,Service connection is established for the Veteran's arterioslerotic heart disease to include status post coronary artery bypass graft from July 25, 2011. The hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and chloracne claims are also granted under presumptive service connection due to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his skin cancer and scar condition was denied as the evidence did not show that the disability more nearly approximated the criteria for a higher rating under any other diagnostic code.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a skin disability, to include basal cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, stucco keratosis, and seborrheic keratosis, as well as a right thoracic back circular scar, to include as secondary to treatment for basal cell carcinoma.
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