The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The AOJ is instructed to obtain an addendum opinion from a clinician that considers the Veteran's MOS in field artillery, articles submitted on herbicide exposure, and his total toxic exposure risk activities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that VA medical opinions were inadequate and failed to provide a reasoned medical explanation for their conclusions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, melanoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2026
- Citation
- A26008413
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 A26008413.
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 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma is granted as secondary to his service-connected eczema and psoriasis. The initial compensable evaluation for toenail psoriasis remains denied.
- 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.
- 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.
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