The claim was denied due to lack of in-service incurrence, but VA treatment records show the Veteran was treated for skin disorders during service. The Board has ordered additional development including obtaining outstanding VA and government treatment records and scheduling an examination.
The deciding factor: Additional medical evidence is needed to determine if the melanoma and its residuals were incurred in service.
- Claimed conditions
- melanoma, atypical nevus, pigmented lesion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19110137
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 19110137.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, and obstructive sleep apnea based on toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) during the Veteran's service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for melanoma under the PACT Act, presumptively linking it to the Veteran's exposure to burn pits during his deployment in Saudi Arabia.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for melanoma, left foot gout, and right foot gout as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's service, including his presumed exposure to Agent Orange.
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