Prostate cancer decisions — 2014

The Board denied the claim for service connection of the cause of death due to end-stage cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), finding that it was not related to Agent Orange exposure or service-connected conditions. The Veteran's pulmonary fibrosis, a non-presumptive condition, was also found to be less likely than not caused by service.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was not incurred or aggravated during his honorable period of service, and there is no evidence to support a finding that it is related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The Board denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer and colon cancer due to herbicide exposure are being remanded for additional development, including verification of the Division to which his unit was attached during the qualifying time period.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is presumed to be due to his exposure to Agent Orange while on active duty in Thailand, and service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, status-post prostatectomy, is currently rated at 20 percent since April 9, 2012. The initial rating of noncompensable from August 10, 2010 to April 8, 2012 was granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to conclusively establish whether the Veteran was exposed to hazardous carcinogenic materials/contaminants while stationed on Guam from October 1960 to April 1962, and if so, whether his prostate cancer is related to such exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer are being remanded due to the need for further development, including verifying his service in Vietnam and obtaining relevant medical records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for residuals of prostate cancer and hepatitis B, as well as his attempt to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection for back disability. The evidence submitted since the last final decision was not sufficient to reopen the claim for service connection for back disability.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is service-connected due to herbicide exposure, and he is granted a 60 percent rating for his lumbar spine disability. The TDIU claim is also granted.

The Board found that the reduction of the evaluation for the Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer from a 100 percent to a 60 percent evaluation was proper based on the evidence at the time.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer and Guillain-Barre Syndrome are being remanded due to an inability to verify his presence in Vietnam. The RO is instructed to attempt verification through the JSRRC, AFHRA, and NARA.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a current VA examination for his service-connected benign prostatic hypertrophy with urinary dysfunction and to consider the theory of presumptive service connection for prostate cancer based on exposure to herbicides. The issue of Dependents' Educational Assistance eligibility is also addressed.

The Veteran's urinary leakage is not considered a service-connected condition that requires use of a prosthetic device or medication causing damage to his clothing, thus denying the claim for an annual clothing allowance.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining records of the Veteran's travel status to and from Thailand in July 1966 and July 1967. The appeal is now pending again with the Board.

The Veteran's claims for chronic depression, nonspecific headache disability (claimed as chronic migraines), fatigue syndrome, and prostate cancer were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have objective indications of a qualifying chronic disability due to undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness during his service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded as the requested Travel Board hearing has not been scheduled. The issues of entitlement to service connection for a back disability, hypertension, headaches, and sinusitis remain on appeal.

The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals are rated at 40 percent from April 1, 2012 to February 18, 2013. The Board granted a TDIU effective from April 1, 2012.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left hand disability was granted, but the service connection claim for prostate cancer remains unresolved.

The Veteran's current diagnosis of prostate cancer was not related to his service, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's prostate and brain cancers were not found to be related to his military service, including herbicide exposure. The Board determined that the long lapse in time between his separation from service and diagnosis of these conditions made it less likely that they are connected to his military service.