Prostate cancer decisions — 2014

The Board has found that the Veteran's prostate cancer is presumed to have been incurred in service as a result of Agent Orange exposure, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and VA treatment records, verifying Agent Orange exposure, scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of his current disabilities, and readjudicating the claims.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service and is not presumed to be related to his military service. The Board denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a right foot injury, tinnitus, and sleep apnea have been dismissed. The Board has also determined that the Veteran is entitled to a 20 percent rating for residuals of prostate cancer.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer and a respiratory disability (chronic bronchitis) were denied. The prostate cancer claim was based on presumed exposure to herbicides, while the respiratory disability claim was not related to service or any other specific basis.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is presumed to be due to Agent Orange exposure during his service in Vietnam, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's lung condition, including interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, is found to be related to his in-service asbestos exposure. The prostate cancer claim remains pending as service connection on a presumptive basis cannot be granted at this time.

The Veteran's prostate cancer treatment from June 21, 2006 through September 12, 2006 was authorized in advance by VA and is therefore eligible for payment or reimbursement.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease, prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction were found to preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation for the period from January 23, 2009, to May 2, 2010. The effective date of his grant of service connection for coronary artery disease was determined based on VA regulations pertaining to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer is being remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the etiology of his condition. The issue will be reconsidered after obtaining this information.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for cause of death.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted effective from October 20, 2002 due to his service-connected disabilities. The effective date was determined based on the earliest date of receipt of a claim for service connection.

The Veteran was granted service connection for prostate cancer and entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) based on loss of use of a creative organ due to the conceded exposure to herbicides during his service at the Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, and urinary incontinence were not found to be related to his service exposure to ionizing radiation.,Service connection was denied for all three conditions as they are not considered radiogenic diseases or presumptively associated with radiation exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's notice of disagreement (NOD) received on December 26, 2012 was not timely as to the October 2011 rating decision which granted service connection for prostate cancer status post cryotherapy with erectile dysfunction and assigned a 10 percent disability rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities necessitate regular aid and attendance, warranting special monthly compensation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evidentiary development, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected prostate cancer.

The Board is remanding the case to determine if the Veteran served in Vietnam as guards during Operation Babylift and to obtain relevant medical records. Service connection will be decided based on the merits of the claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his VA treatment records from the Johnson and Pittsburg VA Medical Centers. The issues of service connection for various conditions are under review.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining appendices from a VA physician's November 2012 opinion and any updated treatment records.