Skin cancer — all decisions

The Board has determined that a valid and timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) was received in response to the July 2013 rating decision which denied entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death. The claim is granted.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected back disability. The claims for right ear hearing loss, left elbow and wrist disabilities, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, melanoma, and upper extremity carpal tunnel syndromes are all denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, bilateral eye nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, status post coronary artery bypass with history of myocardial infarction, and skin cancer are denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,The Veteran was not exposed to herbicide agents during his service on the USS Pictor. Therefore, he cannot establish service connection for any condition based on herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for skin cancer due to herbicide exposure and TDIU as these matters are inextricably intertwined with his claim for service connection. The Veteran needs a VA examination to determine if his diagnosed skin conditions, including skin cancer, are related to his active service, specifically his conceded in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for prostate cancer, skin cancer, type II diabetes mellitus, and hypertension due to potential exposure to herbicide agents and/or toxins in Okinawa. Further action is needed to verify such exposure and a VA examination is required to assess the current severity of the Veteran's hypertension.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information regarding the Veteran's radiation exposure during service. The claim will be reviewed again with a dose estimate and an opinion on whether his skin cancer and thrombocytopenia are related to this exposure.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for service connection and SMC on multiple conditions, including hypertension, sleep disorder, GERD, erectile dysfunction, prostate disorder, skin disorder (claimed as skin cancer and actinic keratosis), and loss of use of a creative organ. The Board has dismissed these claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The remaining issues are related to back injury residuals, COPD, erectile dysfunction, chloracne, skin cancer, and neuropathies of the hands and extremities.

The Board has granted service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, finding that the Veteran was exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE) in-service and this exposure is at least as likely as not related to his current condition. Service connection for malignant skin neoplasms (other than malignant melanoma) was denied due to lack of evidence linking TCE exposure to these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's skin cancer is at least as likely as not caused by his exposure to excessive sun during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding his exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam and the relationship between his claimed conditions and such exposure. The Veteran is also referred for further examination on issues related to Peyronie’s disease, benign hypertrophy of the prostate, skin cancer, and a skin disorder.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. His skin cancer and peripheral neuropathy of the left, lower extremity are denied due to lack of evidence linking them to herbicide exposure during service. The left knee disability is also denied.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and skin cancer metastases to left parotid and left neck lymph node, finding no evidence of exposure to herbicides or other causative factors.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for skin cancer, finding no competent and probative evidence linking his condition to service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient efforts in obtaining service personnel records and ensuring compliance with 38 C.F.R. § 3.311(a). The Veteran's claim for service connection based on ionizing radiation exposure is reopened, but no rating or effective date was assigned.

The Veteran's petition to reopen service connection for glaucoma has been granted, but the claim remains denied. The Board has also remanded cases related to bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as obstructive sleep apnea secondary to PTSD, due to incomplete records. Service connection for malignant melanoma of the left forearm and right leg is also being remanded.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims of service connection for recurrent basal cell carcinoma and an initial compensable evaluation for right ear hearing loss disability. The Veteran's case will be returned to the AOJ after this development.

The Veteran's skin cancer is not related to his active service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Board denied the claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's skin disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, including as due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a new VA examination and address the issues of service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, bladder cancer, and skin cancer. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.