The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for basal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service or exposure to herbicide agents or contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.,Both skin cancers were determined not to be related to the Veteran's time in Vietnam or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions provided by both a subject matter expert and a VA examiner concluded that there is no causal link between the Veteran’s basal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma and his service, including exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam or contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The opinions were based on current scientific research which does not support a causal relationship between these exposures and skin cancer development.
- Claimed conditions
- basal cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20052496
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20052496.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's basal cell carcinoma. The Veteran is seeking service connection for this condition, which he claims was caused by exposure to water-based contaminants at Camp Lejeune during his military service.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and actinic keratosis as the appeal is considered duplicative of a previous decision.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board has determined that the severance of service connection for neoplasm hard and soft tissue of the mouth was improper, as there is conflicting medical evidence regarding the cause of the condition. The Veteran's conditions are related to his active duty service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's lung cancer and brain tumor are granted service connection, while his basal cell carcinoma (claimed as multiple myeloma) is denied. The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure in Guam or elsewhere during active duty.
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