Skin§ 4.118Updated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 7818Malignant skin neoplasms (other than malignant melanoma):

Rated under § 4.118. No rating levels have been extracted for this code yet — use the official source.

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In short

Summary

Rate as disfigurement of the head, face, or neck (DC 7800), scars (DC's 7801, 7802, 7803, 7804, or 7805), or impairment of function

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This code has no itemised criteria in our copy of the schedule. Use the official source link for the controlling text.

From the schedule

Notes on this code

These notes are part of the regulation. They change how the levels above are applied.

  • Note: If a skin malignancy requires therapy that is comparable to that used for systemic malignancies, i.e., systemic chemotherapy, X-ray therapy more extensive than to the skin, or surgery more extensive than wide local excision, a 100-percent evaluation will be assigned from the date of onset of treatment, and will continue, with a mandatory VA examination six months following the completion of such antineoplastic treatment, and any change in evaluation based upon that or any subsequent examination will be subject to the provisions of § 3.105(e) of this chapter. If there has been no local recurrence or metastasis, evaluation will then be made on residuals. If treatment is confined to the skin, the provisions for a 100-percent evaluation do not apply.

Malignant Skin Neoplasms (Other Than Malignant Melanoma) — VA Diagnostic Code 7818

Body system: Skin · Regulation: 38 CFR § 4.118, Diagnostic Code 7818

What This Condition Covers

Diagnostic Code 7818 applies to malignant skin neoplasms other than malignant melanoma — cancerous growths of the skin. Because these conditions can affect the body in different ways depending on where they appear and how they are treated, the VA does not use a single fixed rating chart for this code. Instead, it evaluates each case based on the specific effects the condition and its treatment have on you.

How the VA Rates This Condition

Rather than a standalone set of percentages, DC 7818 is rated by looking at the residual effects of the skin malignancy. Depending on your situation, the VA rates it as:

  • Disfigurement of the head, face, or neck — under Diagnostic Code 7800
  • Scars — under Diagnostic Codes 7801, 7802, 7803, 7804, or 7805
  • Impairment of function — based on how the condition limits what the affected area can do

The category that applies depends on the nature of your specific residuals.

The Special 100-Percent Evaluation Rule

There is an important provision for cases involving more intensive treatment:

  • If a skin malignancy requires therapy comparable to that used for systemic malignancies — such as systemic chemotherapy, X-ray therapy more extensive than to the skin, or surgery more extensive than wide local excision — a 100-percent evaluation is assigned from the date of onset of treatment.
  • This 100-percent evaluation continues, with a mandatory VA examination six months after the completion of that anti-neoplastic treatment.
  • Any change in evaluation based on that examination — or any subsequent one — is subject to the provisions of 38 CFR § 3.105(e).
  • If there has been no local recurrence or metastasis, the evaluation is then made on the residuals (such as scars, disfigurement, or functional impairment).
  • If treatment is confined to the skin, the provisions for the 100-percent evaluation do not apply.

What the VA Looks For

When evaluating a malignant skin neoplasm under DC 7818, the VA considers:

  • The type of treatment received and whether it is comparable to treatment for systemic malignancies
  • The date treatment began and when it was completed
  • Whether there has been local recurrence or metastasis
  • The residual effects after treatment — including disfigurement of the head, face, or neck; scarring; or impairment of function

This information is drawn directly from the VA rating schedule for Diagnostic Code 7818 and is provided for general educational purposes. It is not legal advice and does not guarantee any particular rating outcome.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.118, diagnostic code 7818. The official version is the one that governs your rating.

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What next

How to claim this

Knowing the criteria is the first half. Getting your file to show them is the second.

  1. Find your level in the stack

    Read each rung against what your medical records already say. The level your records document today is the one the VA can support today.

  2. Name the gap

    Look at the rung above yours and write down exactly what it asks for that your file does not show yet — a diagnosis, a measurement, a prescribed brace, a doctor’s opinion linking it to service.

  3. Claim it by code

    File under diagnostic code 7818 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Skin codes may cover your secondary conditions.

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