Prostate cancer decisions — 2016

The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing and further development.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for prostate cancer, finding that new and material evidence has been received. The case is now remanded to determine if the Veteran was exposed to ionizing radiation during his service on Johnston Island.

The Board found that the Veteran's prostate cancer is a past condition and not currently present, thus denying service connection for this condition. Service connection was also denied for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's prostate cancer is as likely as not related to his exposure to contaminated water at Camp LeJeune during his military service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 100%, but the Board finds that he is not unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, as he was able to maintain employment until May 31, 2010.

The Board found that the Veteran's residuals of prostate cancer have been manifested by symptomatology more nearly approximating erectile dysfunction and hesitancy on urination, but not to a degree warranting an increased rating beyond 20 percent.

The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals meet the criteria for a 60 percent rating since November 14, 2011. Prior to this date, his condition did not warrant any higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal for higher initial ratings was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD prior to February 1, 2010 and that the termination of his 100% disability evaluation for prostate cancer residuals was proper. He is already receiving the maximum schedular rating for urinary frequency.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for prostate cancer has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing at the earliest available opportunity.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling issues for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to follow prescribed procedures for verifying herbicide exposure in Thailand, and additional development is required.

The Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer, status-post radical prostatectomy, is now rated at 60 percent from October 9, 2008. Prior to this date, the rating was 40 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood due to lack of evidence supporting herbicide exposure during service.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is being remanded for additional development, including verification of herbicide exposure and a VA medical opinion to determine the likely etiology of his condition.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his active duty service, and there is no evidence of a service-connected disability that contributed to his death. The cause of death was prostate cancer, sepsis, and hepatitis C.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, prostate cancer, a neck condition, renal and liver conditions, and skin disability of the feet, were denied as there is no evidence to support that these conditions are related to his military service.

The RO reduced the disability rating for prostate cancer from 100 percent to 40 percent, effective December 1, 2012. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities include a residual shrapnel wound to the scalp with scar and substernal chest and right upper thigh scars.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer, which he claims was caused by herbicide exposure in Thailand, has been remanded due to the need for additional development of his service records and verification of his claimed exposures.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and an updated VA examination. The Board will consider his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, tinnitus, skin conditions, and coronary artery disease, in determining whether they preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.