Prostate cancer decisions — 2013

The Veteran's prostate cancer is found to be related to his military service, specifically his exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The Board grants the claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tumors of the back and neck, prostate cancer, and chloracne. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and his military service.,There is no credible evidence that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his active duty in Korea.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer, claimed as due to herbicide exposure, is being remanded for further development including verification of his alleged exposure at Fort Polk.

The Board found that the Veteran's service records do not show he served in Vietnam, and thus cannot establish presumptive service connection for prostate cancer based on herbicide exposure. The claim was also denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as his education and work experience make him suitable for sedentary employment.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the cause of the Veteran's death and whether he was exposed to herbicides during service. The claims for non-service-connected burial allowance and plot allowance are also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD and determine if it renders him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service connection for residuals of prostate cancer is granted, as the condition is presumed due to in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected prostate cancer residuals.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including audiometric testing and a dose estimate of radiation exposure. The peripheral neuropathy claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the prostate and colon cancer claims.

The Veteran is seeking a VA clothing allowance due to the need to wear knee braces. The issue of service connection for his left and right knee disabilities, as well as other conditions like hearing loss, tinnitus, and prostate cancer, are pending before the Board.

The Veteran's prostate cancer and respiratory disability were not shown to be related to service or exposure to toxic chemicals. His hearing loss was found to have no more than Level I impairment in either ear, thus not warranting a compensable rating.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was not incurred in or caused by active duty service and may not be presumed to have been so incurred, to include as due to exposure to herbicides during military service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board finds that additional relevant service personnel records have been received and the previously denied claim of service connection for an innocently acquired psychiatric disorder must be reconsidered. The issues of service connection for an innocently acquired psychiatric disorder, prostate cancer residuals, and a skin condition are being remanded to ensure full compliance with the statutory duty to assist.

The Veteran's service connection claim for prostate cancer is granted, and his PTSD rating is increased to the maximum allowable under VA guidelines.

The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals have been rated at 40 percent from October 1, 2008 to November 27, 2009 and at 60 percent since then. The appeal for a higher rating is denied.

The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are granted service connection. The appeal for an increased rating for prostate cancer residuals is dismissed.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a cardiovascular disability and found new and material evidence to support reopening. The Veteran's current heart disability is related to his service-connected cold injury residuals, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's cause of death was not caused by a service-connected disability, as his prostate cancer developed many years after service and is not linked to any incident or exposure during service.

The Veteran's Type II diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer have been granted service connection as presumptively related to his in-service herbicide exposure. The Board has also found that the Veteran's bladder spasms/pain and rectal pain are secondary to his service-connected prostate cancer, but a VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are aggravated by his service-connected condition.