The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for skin cancer, right bicep and head due to exposure to herbicidal agents. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's skin cancers are related to his in-service exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board found there was an indication of an association between the Veteran’s skin cancer and his in-service exposure to an herbicidal agent, but service connection is still available on a direct basis due to the change in law regarding presumed herbicidal agent exposure for veterans serving aboard vessels in territorial waters of the Republic of Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- skin cancer, right bicep, skin cancer, head
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 4, 2020
- Citation
- 20038267
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 20038267.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for itching of the hands and face, right hand skin disability, right upper arm skin cancer, and skin cancer, head have been dismissed due to his request to withdraw these claims during a hearing before the Board.
- Denied
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- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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