Malignant melanoma DC 7833
VA rates it under diagnostic code 7833 in 38 CFR 4.118. Body system: Skin.
Also searched as: melanoma.
How VA rates it
The schedule allows 7 rating levels for this code: 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 80%, and 100%. VA picks the level whose criteria best match your symptoms and records.
Source: 38 CFR 4.118 on eCFR. Read the full criteria there before you file.
Rating levels and criteria
The schedule rates this as DC 7801 (Scars not of the head, face, or neck that are deep and nonlinear) or DC 7802 (Scars not of the head, face, or neck that are superficial and nonlinear) or DC 7804 (Painful or unstable scars) or DC 7805 (Scars, other; and other effects of scars evaluated under diagnostic codes 7800, 7801, 7802, or 7804) or DC 7800 (Scars or other disfigurement of the head, face, or neck).
| Rating | What the schedule says |
|---|---|
| 100% | 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). 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.true |
Criteria text from 38 CFR 4.118, eCFR as of November 10, 2026. The eCFR is the official source if anything here differs.
Rate as scars (DC's 7801, 7802, 7803, 7804, or 7805), disfigurement of the head, face, or neck (DC 7800), or impairment of function (under the appropriate body system)
Notes in the schedule (1)
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). 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.
Presumptive rules that include it
If your service matches one of these, VA presumes the link to service and you do not need a medical opinion connecting it.
Burn pits and airborne hazards (PACT Act)
Covered: Melanoma of any type.
Who qualifies: Active duty on or after August 2, 1990 in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, the United Arab Emirates, the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, or the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia; or on or after September 11, 2001 in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Uzbekistan, or Yemen. The airspace above these places counts. Conditions can start any time after service.
38 CFR 3.320 and 38 U.S.C. 1119-1120. Sources: 38 CFR 3.320; VA.gov: Exposure to burn pits and other specific environmental hazards; VA.gov: Presumptive cancers related to burn pit exposure; VA.gov: The PACT Act and your VA benefits
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Rating schedule data as of November 10, 2026. Secondary and presumptive links checked November 13, 2026.
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