Prostate cancer decisions — 2018

The Veteran's prostate cancer was not shown in service or within one year of separation, and the most probative evidence indicates it is not related to service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities of prostate cancer and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II (DM II), Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, neuropathy of the bilateral lower and upper extremities, and sarcoidosis were not shown to be related to his military service or herbicide exposure.,The Board found that there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and prostate cancer was denied as there were no pending claims at the time of his death. The appellant is seeking accrued benefits based on these claims.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal regarding service connection for hypertension, initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction, and ratings for prostate cancer. The claim for SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ was also withdrawn.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer due to exposure to ionizing radiation in service, and as the condition is not associated with herbicide exposure, no further consideration was needed regarding Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was not service-connected as it is not related to his military service, including exposure to herbicide agents. The Board found no evidence of the Veteran's claimed service in Vietnam and thus could not apply the presumption of herbicide agent exposure.

The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer due to radiation exposure as the evidence did not establish a link between the Veteran's current condition and his military service, including his participation in nuclear testing.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete VA treatment records and the need for additional examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are not related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for prostate cancer and type II diabetes mellitus due to insufficient evidence regarding his exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran served on the USS SHANGRI-LA in Vietnam, but there is uncertainty about whether he flew into DaNang Harbor.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess his ability to work with his service-connected disabilities.

The claim for service connection for a back disability is reopened, but the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, type II, and erectile dysfunction are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and ischemic heart disease, prevented him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment during the period from August 12, 2010 to April 29, 2013. The Board granted a TDIU for this period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no current diagnoses of peripheral neuropathy or psychiatric disorders, and the evidence did not support a finding that prostate cancer residuals resulted in voiding dysfunction or renal dysfunction.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence and arguments presented by the Veteran's representative, specifically regarding whether his service-connected prostate cancer and PTSD may have caused or aggravated his hypertension.

The Board has remanded the matters for additional development, including an examination to identify specific nerve involvement with chronic pelvic pain and assess any functional impairment associated with stress incontinence and inability to sit for more than 30 minutes. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claims for ischemic heart disease and prostate cancer are granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that esophageal cancer was not caused by herbicide exposure in service and prostate cancer did not contribute to his death.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is rated as noncompensable (0 percent) throughout the appeal period.,The Veteran's voiding dysfunction residual of prostate cancer is currently rated at 40 percent, and a higher rating is not warranted under current criteria.,The Veteran’s service-connected scar, status post radical prostatectomy, does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on its size or instability.,PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, with no further increase in rating being granted.