Prostate cancer decisions — 2018

The Veteran is seeking an initial compensable rating for his service-connected residuals of prostate cancer and a more favorable effective date. The case must be remanded to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder is already compensated for, and there is no controversy regarding memory loss.,Prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease are presumed due to herbicide exposure in service.,Peripheral neuropathy is secondary to the Veteran's diabetes mellitus.,Bilateral hearing loss does not meet VA criteria for a disability. Tinnitus was less likely than not related to service.

The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals caused voiding dysfunction characterized by a daytime voiding interval of five times per night as of May 27, 2015. The Board granted a disability rating of 40 percent for the period on and after that date.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding no causal link to service and noting the Veteran's normal hearing at entrance and separation.,Service connection was granted for prostate cancer due to Agent Orange exposure, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type 2, cataracts with choroidal nevus left eye, peripheral neuropathy of each extremity, and erectile dysfunction, render him unemployable. The Board grants a TDIU.

The Veteran's multiple service-connected disabilities clearly interfere with his normal employability, and he is therefore entitled to a 10 percent disability rating under 38 C.F.R. § 3.324.

The Veteran's prostatectomy scars are not painful or unstable and do not cause any other disabling effects. The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals from June 1, 2016 result in the use of absorbent materials that must be changed more than four times per day, warranting a 60% rating. However, the Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation solely due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the appellant's current hearing loss, prostate cancer, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are not related to his active service or exposure to ionizing radiation. The VA audiological examination revealed no causal relationship between the appellant's hearing loss and in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's reduction from a 100% rating to 0% for prostate cancer residuals was upheld.,A higher than 60% rating is granted for the period after August 15, 2013.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's prostate cancer is presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty at U-Tapao Air Force Base in Thailand.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, left arm disability, and restoration of his TBI rating. The Veteran's MDD and COPD ratings were also denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 60 percent for prostate cancer on an extraschedular basis, finding that his prostate cancer did not present an exceptional or unusual disability picture.

The Veteran's prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease are found to be due to exposure to herbicide agents during service, with reasonable doubt resolved in his favor.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is presumed to have been caused by his herbicide agent exposure in service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral shoulder and knee conditions, oral surgery residuals, temporal arteritis, back disability, prostate cancer, colon cancer, coronary artery disease (CAD), bilateral hearing loss, left eye disability, and right eye disability have all been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus to service.