Prostate cancer decisions — 2004

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer and its residuals, finding that there was no evidence of direct service connection or exposure to Agent Orange during his military service.

The Board has ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide a revised radiation dose estimate for the veteran, based on his exposure during service in Japan. The VA will then complete the process outlined in 38 C.F.R. § 3.311.

The Board found that the veteran's service in Vietnam, including a brief visit to Danang harbor, qualifies as 'service in the Republic of Vietnam' for purposes of presumptive exposure to Agent Orange. Therefore, prostate cancer is presumed to be related to his service.

The Board found that the veteran's prostate cancer was not incurred or aggravated by active military service and could not be presumed to have been so incurred due to lack of evidence of exposure to ionizing radiation. The claim is therefore denied.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the veteran had died during the pendency of the appeal, and thus no jurisdiction remained to adjudicate the merits of the claim.

The veteran's claims for service connection for lymphocytic leukemia and prostate cancer were denied. The case is being remanded to the RO for additional development.

The Board denied the veteran's request to restore a 100% rating for his prostate cancer and also denied his request for a higher than 40% rating. The current rating of 40% is considered appropriate based on the evidence.

The veteran's prostate cancer is presumed to have been incurred as a result of his service in the Republic of Vietnam, where he was exposed to Agent Orange. The Board granted the claim based on this presumption.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim of entitlement to service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and determined that there is a causal link between the veteran's chronic prostatitis during active duty and his fatal prostate cancer. The Board also found that the appellant is entitled to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and denied entitlement to DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, finding that prostate cancer did not result from service-connected disabilities or due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of death due to metastatic prostate cancer and ischemic heart disease, finding that these conditions are related to the veteran's service-connected heart disability.

The veteran's prostate cancer and adjustment disorder were not found to be related to his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has restored the previously assigned 100% rating for prostate cancer and granted a compensable initial disability rating for complete erectile dysfunction.

The veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, tinnitus, and PTSD were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the conditions to active service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected duodenal ulcer contributed to his death from aspiration pneumonia, and thus grants entitlement to service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer, including as a residual of herbicide exposure, is being remanded due to incomplete information and procedural issues.

The veteran's service-connected residuals of prostate cancer are currently manifested by urinary incontinence requiring the use of 4 or more absorbent pads per day, and a 60 percent rating is granted effective from August 1, 2002.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development and notification, including verification of the veteran's service in Vietnam or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claims for service connection of prostate cancer, skin conditions, and granuloma of the right lung due to asbestos exposure. The bilateral knee disability was also denied.

The veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer is being remanded due to the need for clarification of exposure details, additional medical evidence, and a VA examination.