Prostate cancer decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for service-connected ischemic heart disease and prostate cancer have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher evaluation during the relevant periods.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal, and the case will be dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions and whether they are related to service. The claims will be readjudicated after all development.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's prostate and bladder cancer and herbicide exposure in service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including reviewing the appellant's payroll records to determine if he served in the Republic of Vietnam during April 1975 and was awarded hostile fire pay.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was not incurred or aggravated during service and is not related to herbicide exposure. Service connection for prostate cancer is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease and prostate cancer, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are presumed to have been incurred in service due to his exposure to herbicides during his time stationed near air base perimeters in Thailand.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and prostate cancer as due to herbicide exposure, with a rating of 100% effective from the date of claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to service-connected PTSD, finding that his PTSD does not render him unemployable.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer as secondary to his service-connected malignant melanoma. The evidence did not establish a causal relationship between the two conditions.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is presumed to be associated with his in-service herbicide exposure, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran is granted a 40 percent disability rating for residuals of prostate cancer from September 1, 2011. The appeal for higher ratings and TDIU are denied.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, residuals is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure and service connection is granted.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure during his service in Thailand, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's prostate cancer, colon and rectal cancer are not service-connected as they were not incurred or aggravated during his active duty. The evidence does not support a finding of exposure to herbicide agents while on active duty.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was not incurred or aggravated in service, and it may not be presumed to have been so incurred. The Board denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's July 1969 discharge is dishonorable for VA purposes and serves as a bar to the payment of VA compensation benefits for disability resulting from his second period of service. Service connection for PTSD, alcohol and substance use disorders, and prostate cancer are not granted due to the statutory character of discharge bar.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure. The claims for prostate cancer and ischemic heart disease are being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals with erectile dysfunction were reduced from a 100% to a 20% rating effective December 1, 2012. The reduction was proper as the evidence did not show any local recurrence or metastasis of the service-connected prostate cancer.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for mitral valve disease and prostate cancer are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding potential exposure to industrial chemicals and solvents during service.