The Board has remanded two issues for further development: service connection for skin cancer and service connection for a low back disorder, diagnosed as DDD of the lumbar spine. The Veteran's claims are being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for additional development.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's skin cancer and low back disorders, specifically addressing service connection and any potential exposure basis.
- Claimed conditions
- Skin cancer, Degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20033206
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 20033206.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in pre-decisional duty to assist and other statutory and regulatory duties. The appellant is not provided with proper notice for a cause of death claim, and further development is needed regarding herbicide agent exposure and radiation exposure during service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy were denied. The Board found that no claim was received prior to July 15, 2021 and thus the proper effective date is July 15, 2021.,The Veteran also sought an earlier effective date for his left lower extremity radiculopathy, which was similarly denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's skin cancer and actinic keratoses are found to be related to his military service, specifically sun exposure as a lifeguard. The Board has granted the claim for service connection.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lymphoma and skin cancer, finding that both conditions are related to the Veteran's military service due to exposure to herbicide agents and sunlight.
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