The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's skin cancer of the left shoulder and back, as well as his psoriasis. The decision is based on direct evidence linking these conditions to exposure to jet fuel during military service.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion provided a link between the Veteran's in-service exposure to jet fuels and his current skin conditions (including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, and psoriasis).
- Claimed conditions
- skin cancer of the left shoulder and back, psoriasis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20069800
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,188 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20069800.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for heart attack, kidney stones, polycythemia vera, diabetes mellitus type 2, and psoriasis is remanded due to inadequate VA opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU based on a single disability, finding that his psychiatric disorder alone did not render him unemployable and that he was not in receipt of a total disability rating based on a single service-connected condition.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's sleep apnea, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis have been granted effective as of September 9, 2021. The effective date for the grant of service connection is based on the PACT Act.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for rhinitis on a presumptive basis due to exposure to fine particulate matter. Service connection for undiagnosed coughing is denied, and the Veteran's psoriasis remains at a noncompensable rating.
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