Prostate cancer decisions — 2008

The Board found that the reduction in the evaluation for prostate cancer from 100 to 40 percent was proper, based on the absence of local recurrence or metastasis and no need for an appliance or absorbent materials changed more than four times per day.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records and the need to obtain relevant medical evidence from various sources.

The Board has determined that there is insufficient evidence to decide the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death. The appellant and her representative are requested to provide any additional medical records, specifically those from the veteran's final hospitalization, and a VA medical opinion will be obtained to determine if prostate cancer or Agent Orange exposure contributed to the cause of death.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hip disorder as secondary to or as residuals of his service-connected prostate cancer. The Board also found that the reduction from a 100% evaluation to a 20% evaluation was proper, but did not find that an increased evaluation in excess of 20% is warranted.,The veteran's current hip pain is attributed to trochanteric bursitis rather than his service-connected prostate cancer. The Board found the evidence against this contention.