Prostate cancer decisions — 2014

The Board affirms the reduction in the evaluation of prostate cancer from 100 percent to 40 percent, effective February 1, 2009.

The Veteran's claims for prostate cancer and Type 2 diabetes mellitus were denied as there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board found no evidence of exposure to herbicides, including Agent Orange, during service in Guam. The Veteran's prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's prostate cancer, which disqualified him from receiving a heart transplant, was a contributory cause of his death due to idiopathic cardiomyopathy. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Board has ordered that the Veteran's complete treatment records from the San Juan VA Medical Center be obtained, and medical records from the Social Security Administration should also be requested. The Veteran is to undergo a VA psychiatric examination to determine the current nature and etiology of any diagnosed psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased rating of 60 percent for prostate cancer, status post radical prostatectomy.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's prostate cancer is related to service exposure to radiation during active duty, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's Obstructive Sleep Apnea is not related to his service, and the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected prostate cancer and/or erectile dysfunction. The rating for his Prostate Cancer remains at 20 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bladder cancer and prostate cancer, both claimed to be due to exposure to Agent Orange, were denied as there is no competent evidence showing the presence of these conditions during or within one year after service. The Board also found that there was no positive association between herbicide exposure and bladder cancer.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for prostate cancer and leukemia. The remaining issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, deep vein thrombosis (to include as secondary to a stress fracture to the right distal fibula), and an increased evaluation for a stress fracture of the right distal fibula are remanded.

The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals have been rated at 60 percent since June 27, 2012. The current rating is appropriate given the severity of his voiding dysfunction.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and the claim for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal because his Substantive Appeal was not timely filed, and thus he did not have a valid appeal as to the issues of prostate cancer service connection and whether new and material evidence had been received to reopen hepatitis C.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have at least as likely as not rendered him unemployable since May 2009, and the Board has determined that the criteria for entitlement to TDIU are met as of October 1, 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his active service, and therefore, he is not entitled to service connection for any of these disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's prostate cancer is not related to his participation in Project SHAD during service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's bladder cancer, metastasized prostate cancer, and metastasized abdominal cancer did not have its clinical onset in service or due to exposure to ionizing radiation. The claim was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and initial rating for his service-connected prostate cancer. The Veteran's claim was received on January 11, 2010, after entitlement arose in January 2009 due to herbicide exposure. The Board found that the earliest claim received by VA was on January 11, 2010, and thus denied an earlier effective date. For his initial rating, the Veteran's residuals of prostate cancer were rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer was received on November 18, 2010. The effective date of the grant of service connection is set at November 10, 2010.

The Veteran's prostate cancer resulted in voiding dysfunction requiring the wearing of absorbent materials more than four times per day during the period from October 1, 2006 to February 19, 2008. He was granted a 60 percent rating for this period.