The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to insufficient evidence showing that the Veteran's malignant melanoma with metastasis to the brain was related to his presumed exposure to herbicide agents such as Agent Orange during service.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show a causal relationship between the Veteran’s service and his development of malignant melanoma with metastasis to the brain, given the lack of direct evidence linking the condition to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- malignant melanoma with metastasis to the brain
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19193525
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 19193525.
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.
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- Granted
The Veteran is granted an effective date of August 10, 2022, for the grant of service connection for sinusitis based on the PACT Act.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, finding that the conditions are related to in-service herbicide agent exposure.
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