Prostate cancer decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer and brain tumor due to exposure to herbicide agents, as well as secondary service connection for erectile dysfunction, loss of smell, and loss of taste.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for residuals of prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus due to herbicide exposure, requiring further development to verify the Veteran's claimed exposures.

The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals are restored to a 60 percent evaluation effective December 1, 2014.,An initial rating for service-connected adjustment disorder in excess of 30 percent prior to January 27, 2017 and 50 percent thereafter is denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction have been dismissed.,His petition to reopen a finally denied claim of service connection for multiple sclerosis has been granted, with the condition that his symptoms are related to Agent Orange exposure. Service connection is granted.,Service connection was established for prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus due to Agent Orange exposure, effective June 19, 2015.,The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates have not met the criteria.

The Veteran's prostate cancer disability rating was reduced from 100% to 40%, effective July 1, 2014. The Board has decided that a new VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of his symptoms.

The Veteran's vertigo, claimed as dizzy spells, is not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking the condition to his military service.,Ischemic heart disease and prostate cancer are not service-connected because there is no evidence that they were incurred during or aggravated by service. The Veteran worked in Vietnam but was not exposed to herbicides.,Prostate cancer is also not service-connected as it did not have its onset in service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for prostate cancer is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete development and need for further medical examination. The issues include vision/eye disability, prostate cancer, hypertension, and skin cancer, all potentially related to exposure to chemicals and herbicide agents during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during active service and concluding that the current prostate cancer did not have its onset during or within one year after service.

The Veteran's cause of death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the Board denied entitlement to DIC based on service connection for his cause of death.

The Veteran's prostate cancer and type II diabetes mellitus are granted as service-connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty in Thailand.

The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals are currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board found no evidence to support a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disorder and prostate cancer were denied. The Board found no current disability of these conditions at any point pertinent to the pendency of his claim, thus denying service connection. For LLE and RLE neuropathy, the Veteran was granted initial ratings of 20 percent each but denied requests for higher ratings or earlier effective dates.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is not related to service and was noted on pre-induction examination prior to service.,There is no evidence of a current left shoulder or right shoulder disability, arthritis of the upper extremities, or left knee disability at any time during or approximate to the pendency of the claim. The Veteran's current disabilities are not linked to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 and prostate cancer due to insufficient development of his exposure to contaminants at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction and prostate cancer was received on May 4, 2011. The Board found that the appropriate effective date is May 4, 2011, as this is the later of the two dates (the date of receipt of the claim or the date entitlement arose).

The Board has determined that the reduction of the Veteran's disability rating from 100% to 60% for prostate cancer residuals, effective March 1, 2015, was proper. The Board also found no evidence of recurrence or metastasis of the prostate cancer and thus a higher rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to his ability to independently ambulate without assistive devices.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate statement of reasons or bases for its determination regarding service connection for the Veteran's cause of death. The appellant contends that her husband’s service-connected disabilities contributed to his death.

The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during active duty in Thailand. The Veteran's duties did not bring him near the base perimeter at RTAFB U-Tapao.