Prostate cancer decisions — 2012

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer, finding that there was no evidence of radiation exposure during service and no credible continuity of symptomatology. The Veteran's current prostate cancer is not related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of pneumonia and granted it. The remaining issues are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension were not incurred during active military service. The Board found no evidence of continuity of symptomatology or a nexus to service for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for groin abscess, left side; prostate cancer secondary to asbestos exposure; and hearing loss have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or etiological link to service.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for all issues on appeal, including service connection claims. The initial disability rating for residuals of prostate cancer remains at 40 percent.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for a total disability rating and for DEA benefits. The case has been remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability during the relevant period.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed.,Service connection for prostate cancer with erectile dysfunction, presumed due to herbicide exposure during service in Thailand, is granted.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) has been granted. The Board finds that the Veteran is unable to obtain or maintain any gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience, by reason of service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for venous stasis dermatitis, prostate cancer, and colon polyps. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing a direct relationship to his military service.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred. The Board found that the Veteran did not serve on the landmass of Vietnam and thus could not establish herbicide exposure for presumptive service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death (COPD) was not caused by his active military service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and securing an opinion on whether the Veteran's atherosclerotic heart disease contributed to his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer is denied as there is no credible evidence linking the current disability to his military service.

The Veteran withdrew the appeal of the issue regarding the reduction in disability evaluation for prostate cancer.

The Board found that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam and thus could not establish herbicide exposure. The service treatment records were negative for prostate cancer, and there was no credible evidence linking post-service prostate cancer to active duty or any other basis.

The Veteran's appeal for higher disability ratings for residuals of prostatectomy due to prostate cancer has been withdrawn. The Board is dismissing the appeal as a result.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was not shown to be related to service, and the Board finds that it did not meet the criteria for direct service connection. The claim is therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of prostate cancer and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for erectile dysfunction associated with the residuals of prostate cancer, status post radial prostatectomy was granted by the RO in January 2008. The current appeal is about the effective date and whether a higher rating should be assigned.

The Board found that the reduction in evaluation from 100 percent to 20 percent for prostate cancer, effective December 1, 2008, was proper based on the Veteran's prostatectomy and subsequent VA examinations.