Prostate cancer decisions — 2009

The Veteran's prostate cancer is service-connected on a presumptive basis due to his exposure to herbicides during his service in Vietnam.

The Board remands the case to request additional evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed period of temporary duty in the Republic of Vietnam and to obtain a complete ship's history documenting the movements of the U.S.S. Shangri-La during its deployment in 1970.

The claim for service connection for prostate cancer and its residuals was reopened based on new evidence, but ultimately denied as the competent evidence did not demonstrate a link to active duty.

The appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and scheduling a VA genitourinary examination.

The Veteran's residuals of prostate cancer do not meet the criteria for an initial compensable disability rating prior to November 15, 2005, and a rating greater than 10 percent from that date.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death as it was determined that prostate cancer, which was listed as the immediate cause of death, did not have a direct relationship with any service-connected condition.

The Board found that the reduction of the disability rating for service-connected prostate cancer from 100 percent to 40 percent was proper, but that the current state of his disability more nearly approximates a 60 percent rating.

The appeal was dismissed as the Veteran and his accredited representative withdrew from consideration certain issues, and a chronic low back disorder was not shown to have been present in service or for many years thereafter.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for prostate cancer was increased to 40 percent, effective October 14, 2008.

The Board granted service connection for prostate cancer, finding that the evidence was in equipoise regarding whether it was causally related to active service.

The appeal is remanded for additional development, including verification of herbicide exposure and a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's prostate cancer.

The appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining evidence of potential exposure to Agent Orange and other relevant records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for prostate cancer and renal failure, as well as his attempt to reopen a claim of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was granted service connection as it is presumed to have been incurred in service due to his exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides in Vietnam.

The Board has characterized the appeal as encompassing the matter of whether the RO properly discontinued the 100 percent rating for prostate cancer, and assigned ratings for residuals of prostate cancer, status post cryosurgery.

The Board denied service connection for interstitial cystitis and prostate cancer as the conditions did not have their onset in service, were not attributable to or worsened by his service-connected prostatitis.

The Board remanded the appeal for a video conference hearing as requested by the Veteran.

The appeal is remanded to obtain further evidence and a new VA examination.

The Board denied the claims for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 and § 1318, finding that VA did not fail to timely diagnose or treat metastatic prostate cancer, nor was the Veteran's death due to carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar incidence of fault on the part of VA.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death as there was no evidence linking his death to any incident during active military service, including exposure to herbicides.