The Board remands the claim for service connection for basal cell carcinomas due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's theory of entitlement.
The deciding factor: The April 2024 VA examination is deemed inadequate as it did not address the Veteran's direct theory of entitlement and lay statements that his basal cell carcinomas are due to equatorial sun exposure while serving in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- basal cell carcinomas
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2025
- Citation
- A25101439
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,913 · 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 A25101439.
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 remands the claims for service connection for basal cell carcinomas and multiple actinic keratoses to obtain a new medical opinion addressing the Veteran's in-service sun exposure and post-service radiation exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for skin lesions, including basal and squamous cell carcinomas. The cancers were not found to be related to military service or herbicide exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's skin conditions and their relationship to service, particularly his conceded exposure to Agent Orange. The Veteran was not provided with a VA examination or opinion on this issue.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for skin cancer of the arms, legs, and cheek due to extensive sun exposure during service. The decision resolves doubt in favor of the Veteran.
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