Prostate cancer decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during service and therefore, prostate cancer, a disease associated with such exposure, is presumed to be related to service. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to a lack of an opinion from a specialist in occupational medicine regarding whether prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus are related to service or exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for PTSD and TDIU due to inadequate examination in November 2015. The case is being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was not shown to be related to his active duty service, including exposure to herbicide agents. The Board found no evidence of in-service disease or injury and the medical records did not establish a link between the current condition and service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his medical records.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is presumed to have been incurred in service. His rectal cancer is found to be secondary to his service-connected prostate cancer. The skin cancer was not shown in service and is not otherwise related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents while stationed in or near the Korean DMZ, and at Camp Rose, Korea. The claim will be readjudicated based on all evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer, finding that the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange during his service in the Republic of Vietnam is presumed. The claim is allowed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for testicular cancer and prostate cancer, finding that there was no evidence of exposure to toxic herbicides or other hazardous chemicals during his service in Guam. The Board also found that the cancers were not related to active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his oral disability and prostate cancer, status post prostatectomy. The AOJ should obtain these opinions from a VA examiner.

The Board denied reopening of the claim for service connection for prostate cancer because the new evidence submitted did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim or raise a possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during service and therefore, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, prostate cancer, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for prostate cancer and a compensable disability rating for prostatitis, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable error in previous decisions. The Board also found that his prostate cancer is not related to his service-connected prostatitis.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction and SMC are granted secondary to his prostate cancer, but an earlier effective date is denied. The Veteran is currently rated at 20 percent for voiding dysfunction (previously prostate cancer) with a maximum schedular rating of 60 percent since February 24, 2011.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper left and right extremities, osteoarthritis of the left and right knees. The Veteran is also found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is not service-connected, as there is no direct evidence linking the condition to his active duty service at Camp Lejeune. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's prostate cancer is less likely than not due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer are presumed related to his in-service herbicide exposure, and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board has referred the claim to the Under Secretary for Benefits for further consideration due to potential service connection based on radiation exposure. The case is now remanded for additional development.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records from Wadsworth Medical Center and Brentwood Hospital dated from 1968 to 1970 and from 1984 to 1995. The Veteran is notified that these records are unavailable and given an opportunity to provide them himself.

The Veteran's service connection claim for prostate cancer is granted as the condition is presumed to be related to his exposure to herbicides while serving in the Republic of Vietnam.