Prostate cancer decisions — 2017

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The claim for new and material evidence to reopen the stroke, diabetes mellitus type II, coronary artery disease, and peripheral neuropathy claims was granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to verify possible herbicide exposure in Thailand and to address inconsistencies in the Veteran's statements.

The Board found no evidence of service-connected disability or herbicide exposure that contributed to the Veteran's death from prostate cancer, and thus denied service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's ischemic heart disease, skin cancer, and prostate cancer are not related to service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, right knee condition, hernia, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, tooth decay and gum disease, and tinnitus are not etiologically related to service. The Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to service.

The Board found that the reduction in rating from 100% to 60% for prostate cancer was proper due to improvement, and granted the reduced rating.

The Veteran's service connection claims for prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus are granted due to his Vietnam Era service, which qualifies him for presumptive exposure under the Agent Orange Act.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and a VA examination to address the etiology of his respiratory and prostate conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate disorder, left eye injury, bilateral hearing loss, and sinus condition. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection in any of these cases.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, and a heart condition due to herbicide exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's fatal prostate cancer was not related to his service, including exposure to ionizing radiation. Service connection for the cause of death is also denied.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for gall bladder disorder, lung disease, lipoma, ulcer, prostate cancer, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and PTSD), and tinnitus have been granted. The decision is based on direct service connection due to the Veteran's credible reports of symptom onset within one year post-service.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted TDIU for the entire period on appeal.

The Board has granted a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer residuals, effective August 1, 2011. The Veteran's incontinence was found to be the predominant area of dysfunction.

The Veteran's death was found to be caused by his service-connected anxiety neurosis, and the claim for service connection for cause of death is granted. The appellant's claim for compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status for accrued benefits purposes is denied due to lack of evidence showing that the Veteran needed such assistance.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for prostate cancer, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his military service, including ionizing radiation exposure. The case was remanded due to incomplete radiation dose estimations and will be readjudicated after additional development.

The Veteran's prostate and lung cancers are presumed to be due to herbicide exposure during service, granted.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is not service connected as there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and the condition did not manifest within one year after separation.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes mellitus, and prostate cancer. The evidence is sufficient to establish that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to September 13, 2011 and in excess of 40 percent from that date have not been met.