Prostate cancer decisions — 2005

The veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer is being remanded to the RO for further evidentiary development, including obtaining his personnel records and verifying any service in Vietnam or on Marcus Island where he claims exposure to herbicides like Agent Orange.

The veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for diabetes mellitus type II and prostate cancer is granted. The veteran was rated 20 percent disabled by diabetes mellitus type II, based on the need for an oral hypoglycemic agent and restricted diet to control DM-2.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection of prostate cancer, status-post radical prostatectomy, as secondary to his service-connected prostatitis.

The Board found no causal relationship between the veteran's prostate cancer, arthritis, and hypertension and his active service. The evidence showed a significant gap in time between discharge from active duty and any diagnosis of these conditions.

The veteran's prostate cancer was not incurred or aggravated during service, and he did not serve in the Republic of Vietnam. Therefore, he is not entitled to presumptive service connection based on exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange). The claim will be denied as there is no direct evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The veteran's prostate cancer is being remanded for further examination to determine if it is related to service, specifically prostatitis and urethral stricture present during his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's prostate cancer is not related to his service-connected prostatic enlargement and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not contribute to his death, and denied the claim for service connection for cause of the veteran's death.

The Board has denied service connection for duodenal ulcer, right testicular growth, and yellow fever. The prostate cancer was initially shown but not service-connected.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than September 19, 1996 for the grant of service connection for prostate cancer.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his request for a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO in Huntington, West Virginia.

The VA has determined that the veteran's residuals of prostate cancer, post-radical peritoneal prostatectomy do not warrant a compensable disability rating.

The Board denied benefits for prostate cancer resulting from VA treatment in 2000, but granted the left ankle fracture disability rating at its current level of 10 percent.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer. The Board also determined there was no exposure to herbicides during active service in Korea, thus denying the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for prostate cancer on a direct basis or as a result of herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a medical opinion regarding whether prostate cancer manifested to a degree of 10 percent or more at the time his prostate was removed. The claims are inextricably intertwined with the SMC claim.

The veteran's appeal for higher ratings for prostate cancer, impotence, and a scar of the forehead was denied. The veteran is currently rated at noncompensable levels for these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, prostate cancer (claimed as secondary to Agent Orange exposure), hypertension, and the residuals of multiple CVAs. The medical evidence did not establish a current diagnosis or link between these conditions and the veteran's military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of prostate cancer, finding that the first formal or informal claim was received on April 4, 2002.

The Board found that the reduction of the veteran's prostate cancer rating from 100% to 20% was proper, and denied his claim for a higher rating. Service connection for PTSD was also denied due to lack of evidence meeting diagnostic criteria.

The Board has determined that an effective date of September 1, 1998 is warranted for the grant of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to lung cancer.