Prostate cancer decisions — 2008

The Board denied an increased disability rating for service-connected erectile dysfunction, finding that the veteran's condition did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as there was no evidence of penile deformity.

The RO granted service connection for adjustment disorder with depressed mood and assigned a 10 percent initial disability rating, effective from January 31, 2006. The RO denied increased evaluations for residuals of prostate cancer and shell fragment scar of the left thigh.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for prostate cancer and cancer of the jaw, both claimed as due to exposure to ionizing radiation. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency concluded that there is no evidence documenting the appellant’s presence with American occupation forces in Hiroshima or Nagasaki during the relevant time period.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including colon cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, prostatitis, and a lumbar spine disability. The decisions were based on lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service or herbicide exposure.

The veteran's prostate cancer was not service-connected as claimed due to herbicide exposure because there is no evidence of actual in-service herbicide exposure or a relationship between the condition and military service.

The Board found that the reduction in evaluation of residuals of prostate cancer from 100% to 20% was proper, and the discontinuance of entitlement to special monthly compensation based on housebound status was also proper. The effective date for the reduced evaluation is November 30, 2006.

The veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 20, 2007 for the grant of service connection for prostate cancer is denied as there is no medical evidence of a diagnosis until March 20, 2007.

The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death was not incurred or aggravated due to active service, and therefore denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board has determined that the reduction of the veteran's disability rating for prostate cancer from 100 percent to 60 percent was proper.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity as to prevent him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The veteran's claims of entitlement to increased disability rating for prostate cancer, and to reopen previously denied claims for PTSD and hepatitis C are being remanded for further action.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, cerebral vascular accident, and prostate cancer as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's residuals of radical prostatectomy for cancer of the prostate do not meet the criteria for a higher than 10 percent rating based on urinary frequency or obstructed voiding.

The Board found that the reduction of the veteran's disability rating for prostate cancer from 100% to 10% was proper and upheld the effective date as March 1, 2003.

The veteran's disabilities do not render him in need of regular aid and attendance or permanently housebound, thus his claim for special monthly pension is denied.

The veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and he did not have qualifying service for VA pension benefits. The appeal is denied in all issues.

The veteran seeks service connection for prostate cancer due to exposure to Agent Orange while stationed in Guam. The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verifying the veteran's alleged exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has determined that the veteran's sleep apnea, navel hernia, diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) are not related to service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a certificate of eligibility for financial assistance in purchasing an automobile or conveyance, adaptive equipment, or specially adapted housing. The Board found that his lower extremities are not so severely affected by his service-connected conditions as to require such accommodations.

The Board has granted the veteran's motion to advance his case on the docket and found that new and material evidence had been received to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for prostate cancer. Service connection is established based on presumed exposure to herbicides during service in Korea, where he served near the DMZ. The veteran also has secondary service connection for urinary incontinence and scar tissue related to his prostate cancer. Memory loss is not addressed due to lack of examination.