The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected scars of the skin with painful and unstable scarring was denied. The current 40% rating is considered appropriate based on the criteria for scars that are unstable or painful.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not require therapy comparable to systemic malignancies, thus he does not meet the criteria for a 100% evaluation under Diagnostic Code 7818 for malignant neoplasms. The current rating of 40% is the highest available based on scars that are unstable or painful.
- Claimed conditions
- Basal cell carcinoma, Squamous cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19102422
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 Board granted service connection for residuals of a skin condition, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.
- 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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for basal cell carcinoma, leukocytosis, and liver condition but granted reinstatement of a 40% rating for right and left knee limitations of extension effective November 1, 2024.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 30 percent for basal cell carcinoma and granted a separate 10 percent rating for a painful scar.
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