Prostate cancer decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and a need for an addendum medical opinion regarding the Veteran's prostate disability.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, effective date determinations, and reductions of evaluations. The primary focus is on determining whether the Veteran's conditions are secondary to herbicide exposure or other service-connected disabilities.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for prostate cancer and granted it, but denied the claim as there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during service or a relationship to service.

The Veteran's service-connected proctitis and prostate cancer have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer and coronary artery disease as there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease, and the Veteran did not have presumptive exposure to herbicide agents. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence failed to establish a nexus between the claimed conditions and service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional verification of his claimed visits to Vietnam and related articles. The Board will seek copies of his articles from 'Stars and Stripes' and submit them for review.

The Board denied service connection for cardiovascular disability, prostate cancer, and residuals of a stroke due to lack of evidence of exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicide agents during service.

The Board dismissed the appeal for the propriety of reducing the evaluation for prostate cancer residuals from 100 percent to 60 percent and for an evaluation in excess of 60 percent. The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to December 5, 2017 is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for depression and anxiety, prostate cancer (secondary to depression and anxiety), bone metastases (secondary to prostate cancer), special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance of another person, and the Veteran's cause of death. The causes are all related to conditions incurred or aggravated during active service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus, as well as his claim for TDIU due to these conditions. The VA will obtain updated treatment records and schedule the Veteran for examinations to assess the severity of his disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's contention that his prostate cancer is related to exposure to hazardous chemicals during service.

The Veteran's service-connected erectile dysfunction is not rated as compensable, but he is granted a TDIU for the entire period on appeal.

The Veteran's prostate cancer with urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction are granted service connection. The issue of residuals of vasectomy is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed because he is already receiving a 100% disability rating for prostate cancer, which qualifies him for special monthly compensation (SMC).

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a claim based on an undiagnosed Gulf War illness and that the Veteran's current diagnosed conditions are attributable to known clinical diagnoses.,Service connection was also denied for a right knee condition, as there is no in-service injury or disease linked to the current condition. The Board found that the right knee condition is not proximately due to, or aggravated by, service-connected left knee disability and/or low back disorder.,Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was granted based on evidence showing it began during service.,Service connection for Barrett’s esophagus was denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis that can be linked to service.,Prostate cancer was denied as the Veteran's condition did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and he is granted a TDIU. The appeals for the other conditions are dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claims.

The Veteran's prostate cancer resulted in an increased rating to 100% effective August 26, 2003. The Board denied earlier effective dates for the prostate cancer and other conditions.

The Board denied compensation for prostate cancer under 38 C.F.R. § 1151 and also denied service connection for prostate cancer due to lack of evidence linking the condition to VA treatment or exposure.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for post-operative residual varicose veins of the left leg prior to March 6, 2014, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for a scar, post-operative residual varicose veins of the left leg is denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various psychiatric and physical disabilities, including right shoulder pain, back pain, neck pain, left knee pain, right knee pain, sleep apnea, hepatitis C, kidney or renal failure, prostate cancer, and unspecified depressive disorder. The reasons provided include lack of in-service evidence linking these conditions to service.