The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence supports readjudicating the claim for service connection for skin cancer residual scars, to include melanoma. However, the Veteran's current condition is not eligible for presumptive service connection based on exposure to herbicide agents under the PACT Act or other provisions. The Board finds that while the Veteran has a current diagnosis of scar status post excision of melanoma, there is insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between his current disability and in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion concluded that the Veteran's scar status post excision for melanoma was less likely than not caused by service exposure to herbicide agents due to inadequate or insufficient evidence of an association between such exposure and melanoma.
- Claimed conditions
- skin cancer residual scars, melanoma
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2024
- Citation
- A24072581
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,035 · Granted: 30% (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 A24072581.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for melanoma, to include SCC of the right hand, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by exposure to radiation during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, equilibrium disorder (claimed as bad balance and equilibrium), bilateral restless leg syndrome, bilateral upper extremity tremor, melanoma, and acquired psychiatric disability due to a lack of adequate medical opinions regarding exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and Agent Orange in Japan.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, and melanoma. The Veteran's claims were based on exposure to herbicides at Fort McClellan, but the evidence did not establish actual exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's lung cancer and metastatic malignant melanoma were not shown to be related to service, including exposure to herbicide agents or ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
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