Prostate cancer decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are granted. The conditions claimed, including organic mental syndrome, skin disorder (to include skin cancer), and prostate cancer, were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer, status-post prostatectomy, due to herbicide exposure is being remanded for additional development of his service records and possible confirmation of his presence in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the reduction in rating from 100 percent to 10 percent for prostate cancer was proper as of May 1, 2010.

The Veteran's prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus are granted service connection on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure during his service at the U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Force Base.

The Board has remanded the case for a videoconference hearing at a local VA office, via videoconference. The Veteran's request for a hearing has not been withdrawn.

The Veteran's cause of death was listed as metastatic prostate cancer, which is unrelated to his military service and not shown to have manifested within a year of separation from service. The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure during service.

The Veteran's combined rating for service-connected disabilities is currently at 70 percent, which does not meet the requirement of being permanently and totally disabled due to service-connected disability. Therefore, he is not eligible for CHAMPVA benefits.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for all issues listed, including the claims for initial ratings and service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer and ischemic heart disease, secondary to herbicide exposure in Korea, are being remanded due to the need to verify if he was exposed to Agent Orange during his active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer residuals are currently rated at 10 percent prior to February 3, 2010; and a rating in excess of 10 percent is not warranted prior to July 8, 2013. From July 8, 2013, the Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer residuals warrant a 20 percent rating.

The Veteran is found unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected PTSD, and the claim for TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of prostate cancer is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides during his Vietnam service.

The Board found that the reduction of the rating for prostate cancer from 100 to 20 percent, effective July 1, 2010, was factually warranted based on improvement in the disability and the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of service connection for a kidney condition, dizziness, canker sores, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The case is being dismissed.

The Veteran's prostate cancer claim is denied as there is no evidence of herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The facial scarring claim remains unchanged with a current evaluation of 10 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran's prostate cancer was not incurred or aggravated in service and is not otherwise related to active duty. The claim for service connection based on exposure to ionizing radiation during service was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and service treatment records. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to initial compensable rating for pharyngitis is also addressed.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner to address whether the Veteran's prostate cancer is related to his service and specifically to his exposure to herbicides while working on airplanes that had flown in Vietnam.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining pay records and medical opinions to determine if he served in Vietnam and whether his conditions are related to herbicide exposure.