Prostate cancer decisions — 2014

The Board finds that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides in service and is entitled to presumptions based on herbicide exposure, thus granting service connection for prostate cancer.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer as secondary to Agent Orange exposure in Thailand, finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service at RTAFB Korat.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of exposure to herbicides and the conditions were not related to his military service.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is found to be related to his service-connected prostate cancer and diabetes, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was not present during service or for many years thereafter, and there is no scientific or medical evidence linking it to the circumstances of his service. The Board has therefore denied service connection for prostate cancer.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam or near the Korean DMZ, and thus could not be presumed to have been exposed to herbicides. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for prostate cancer.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of prostate cancer as a result of exposure to herbicides in service. The Veteran is also found to have urinary leakage and an acquired psychiatric disorder, both related to his prostate cancer.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus, type II, as both conditions are presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during his service in Korea.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted as due to in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board found that the reduction of the disability rating for prostate cancer from 100% to 0%, effective May 1, 2009, was procedurally correct and that the evidence did not demonstrate a need to restore the 100% rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer, including as due to herbicide exposure, is denied. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service exposure to herbicides and the disease has not been shown to be related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including type II diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, neuropathy, chronic kidney disease, and prostate cancer, are not related to his military service or any exposure to DDT therein. As a result, these claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new audiological examination. The propriety of the reduction in his prostate cancer disability rating from 40 percent to 20 percent, effective May 1, 2014, will also be addressed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic lymphocytic leukemia is presumed to be due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and service connection for this condition is granted.,Service connection for prostate cancer is also granted as it is presumed to be due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer and bladder cancer. The preponderance of evidence is against a finding that the Veteran's prostate cancer or bladder cancer are etiologically related to his military service, including any in-service asbestos exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have HIV, skin disability (claimed as cysts), renal cell cancer, prostate cancer, or hepatitis in service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for prostate cancer residuals was denied. The criteria for a compensable rating prior to June 25, 2012 and a rating in excess of 40 percent since that date were not met.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a reopening of the claim and establishing service connection.

The Veteran is shown to be unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment as a result of his service-connected prostate cancer, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on this condition.