Prostate cancer decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted with an effective date of September 12, 2012. The Veteran also received a grant of service connection for sleep apnea and the effective date for this is set at May 19, 2003.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and inextricably intertwined issues, including a heart disability claim.

The Veteran's service records confirm he served as a fire protection specialist at Ubon Air Force Base in Thailand from September 1971 to February 1972. However, there is no credible evidence of herbicide exposure during his service.,Diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer were not shown to be related to service or any period of herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran regarding possible exposure to gonorrhea and asbestos, which may be related to the Veteran's prostate cancer.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to relate to service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the Veteran's claimed service in Vietnam and his exposure to herbicides. The appeal will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred there in, nor is it due to the presumed exposure to herbicides. The appeal regarding entitlement to service connection for a respiratory disorder has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claim prior to decision. The appeal regarding PTSD has also been dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing. Service connection for prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus, both presumed due to herbicide exposure, remains pending.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, status post cryotherapy, has been rated at 20 percent since May 12, 2010. The Board finds that the criteria for this rating have been met and grants the claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a hearing before the Board. The service connection issues remain pending and will be addressed after the hearing.

The Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer contributed to his death, which is why the claim for cause of death has been granted.

The Veteran's cause of death was not due to any service-connected condition, including exposure to ionizing radiation. Prostate cancer is not presumed or service connected based on the evidence provided.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer and PTSD, as well as his request to reopen a previously denied claim of depression. The termination of special monthly pension benefits was found proper due to clear and unmistakable error (CUE).

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing before the RO. The issues of service connection for prostate cancer, reopening of previously denied claim for heart disorder, and entitlement to TDIU are pending.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, neck cancer (secondary to prostate cancer), hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service disease or injury, exposure to herbicides, or current disability.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was not incurred in or aggravated by his active service. The criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for the residuals of surgery and treatment for prostate cancer as due to treatment received at the VAMC have not been met.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for prostate cancer.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was not found to be related to his in-service exposure to ionizing radiation, and the Board concluded that it did not manifest during service or within a presumptive period. The claim is therefore denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to his failure to report for a VA examination and the need to issue supplemental statements of the case on new issues.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for prostate cancer and a left ankle disability, effectively dismissing these matters.