Prostate cancer decisions — 2010

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for further consideration of his claim for a temporary total disability evaluation based on convalescence following prostatectomy.

The Board is deciding the Veteran's claims for service connection for Parkinson's disease, a cognitive disorder, and prostate cancer. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder has been reopened due to new and material evidence, but it remains pending on its underlying merits.

The Veteran is seeking an increased rating for dysthymic disorder and has also raised several service connection claims.,The Veteran seeks to reopen his service connection claim for prostate cancer. He also raises claims for service connection for a heart condition (atrial fibrillation with third degree AV block, status post pacemaker), hypertension, benign prostatic hypertrophy with nocturia, and TDIU.,The Veteran is seeking to reopen his service connection claim for a heart condition. He also raises claims for service connection for prostate cancer, hypertension, benign prostatic hypertrophy with nocturia, and TDIU.,The Veteran seeks to reopen his service connection claim for hypertension. He also raises claims for service connection for prostate cancer, a heart condition (atrial fibrillation with third degree AV block, status post pacemaker), benign prostatic hypertrophy with nocturia, and TDIU.,The Veteran is seeking to reopen his service connection claim for benign prostatic hypertrophy with nocturia. He also raises claims for service connection for prostate cancer, a heart condition (atrial fibrillation with third degree AV block, status post pacemaker), hypertension, and TDIU.,The Veteran seeks to reopen his service connection claim for prostate cancer. He also raises claims for service connection for a heart condition (atrial fibrillation with third degree AV block, status post pacemaker), hypertension, benign prostatic hypertrophy with nocturia, and TDIU.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for prostate cancer, which he claims is due to radiation exposure during his military service. The Board has ordered additional development of records from the VA Hospital in Anchorage, Alaska; Valley Radiation in Wasilla, Alaska; and Health South in Anchorage, Alaska.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was not found to be related to service, including exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Board found that the Veteran's prostate cancer was not present in service or until many years thereafter, and there is no competent probative evidence of a causal connection between the Veteran's prostate cancer and military service or any incident therein, to include any exposure to herbicide agents. Therefore, the claim for service connection for prostate cancer due to herbicide exposure was denied.

The Veteran's prostate cancer claim was reopened, but service connection for this condition is denied as there is no evidence linking it to his active duty service. The Veteran's bladder cancer claim is also denied due to lack of evidence connecting the condition to herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and dermatitis. However, it denied service connection for heart disease as there is no evidence linking it to service or exposure to TCE.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for residuals of prostate cancer is denied. The Board finds that the criteria for a compensable rating for erectile dysfunction are not met, and entitlement to TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer was denied as there is no evidence of in-country service or exposure to herbicides during his active duty.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is not due to, or the result of, service or exposure to herbicide agents. The Board finds that there is no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and therefore denied DIC benefits.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, small bowel obstruction, colon cancer with metastasis to the liver and lymph nodes, prostate cancer with metastasis bone, and diabetes type II, were not caused or contributed substantially or materially by his service-connected conditions. The VA examiner opined that the duodenal ulcer was unrelated to the cause of death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer, finding no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides and insufficient medical evidence linking his current condition to service.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for his prostate cancer and Achilles tendon disabilities were denied. The initial rating for prostate cancer was found to be appropriate at 40 percent, effective the date of his claim. For the period beginning April 2, 2009, the rating for the Achilles tendon disability was also found to be appropriate at 20 percent.

The Veteran's residuals of prostate cancer, status post radiation treatment, were granted a 20 percent rating effective March 5, 2009. The claim for an increased rating remains denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lung cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, and gastroesophageal reflux disease due to exposure to Agent Orange. The evidence did not establish in-country service in Vietnam or credible evidence of such service.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of prostate cancer, status post surgery, are currently rated at 40 percent disabling. The VA has granted a higher rating from March 5, 2007.

The RO properly discontinued the 100 percent rating for prostate cancer and assigned a 40 percent rating effective November 1, 2006.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and prostate cancer, finding that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.