Prostate cancer decisions — 2006

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his previously denied service connection for prostate cancer, including as a result of herbicide exposure. The evidence submitted since the October 1999 decision did not provide new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's residuals of prostate cancer surgery do not warrant a rating higher than 60 percent, and thus denied his claim for restoration of a 100 percent rating.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary prior to completion of its appellate review, including reviewing new evidence and scheduling a VA genitourinary examination.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed as a result.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for postoperative residuals of prostate cancer, finding that the evidence does not support such a higher rating based on urinary leakage requiring use of an appliance or wearing absorbent materials more than four times per day.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to incomplete records and need for clarification of clinical test results.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for prostate cancer and hearing loss, finding that there was no direct evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The veteran's prostate cancer is not considered related to herbicide exposure or radiation, while his hearing loss claim is pending due to insufficient evidence.

The veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer, due to herbicide exposure during active military service, is denied as there was no evidence of herbicide exposure and the disease did not manifest within one year of separation from service.

The veteran's appeal was dismissed because he died while his case was pending before the Board.

The VA has determined that the veteran's prostate cancer residuals, including urinary incontinence and leakage, warrant a 60% evaluation since April 8, 2005.

The veteran's death was due to acute cardiopulmonary arrest, but the cause is unknown. The appellant contends that her husband's stress from his prostate cancer and diabetes combined with his cardiovascular disease caused his death. Further development is needed to determine if he had service in Vietnam and whether any presumptions apply.

The veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a new VA examination.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection were denied. The RO found that the veteran did not meet criteria for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, denied his claim of service connection for functional heart murmur as new evidence was not submitted, denied his claim of service connection for dermatitis, chloracne, and cysts due to lack of competent evidence, and denied his claim of increased disability evaluation for prostate cancer from August 21, 2001, through August 1, 2005.

The Board found that the VA properly withheld the veteran's disability compensation benefits back to and including December 2001 in order to avoid full payment of both military retired pay and full VA compensation benefits.

The Board has restored the veteran's 100% rating for prostate cancer, status-post radical retropubic prostatectomy, effective December 1, 2002.

The Board found that the veteran's prostate cancer was not directly or presumptively incurred in service and denied his claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer and PTSD, finding no evidence of in-service stressors supporting PTSD or exposure to herbicides related to prostate cancer.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer due to exposure to Agent Orange and an increased rating for hypertension. The evidence did not support a finding that prostate cancer was related to service or that hypertension warranted a higher disability evaluation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for low back, left knee, psychiatric disabilities, and prostate cancer residuals as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability.

The veteran's prostate and testicular cancer are not related to service-connected chronic testicular disability. However, the veteran's erectile dysfunction is related to his service-connected chronic testicular disability.