The Veteran's claim for service connection for lentigo maligna, a non-melanoma skin cancer, was denied as the evidence did not support a link to his active duty service or herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the post-service skin cancer issues were not medically consistent with his active duty dermatological treatment and there is no medical opinion to the contrary.
- Claimed conditions
- lentigo maligna, non-melanoma skin cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2019
- Citation
- A19002489
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,020 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A19002489.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's non-melanoma skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma, is related to service and granted service connection.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's skin lesions, including melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer, are related to service or to his service-connected disabilities. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on this issue.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's non-melanoma skin cancer and vitiligo are related to his exposure to herbicide agents while serving in Vietnam.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for non-melanoma skin cancer, finding that his current condition is at least as likely as not related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
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