Prostate cancer decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the Veteran's major depressive disorder is etiologically related to his military service. The claim for residuals of prostate cancer, secondary to gonorrhea and/or exposure to herbicide agents and other toxic substances, is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, as well as his claim regarding employment due to service-connected disabilities. The remand requires obtaining additional opinions on the etiology of hypertension and its relationship to diabetes and prostate cancer.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings on his coronary artery disease and prostate cancer status post radical prostatectomy is being remanded due to the need for further evaluation.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The Veteran's residual scar of the right lower quadrant is granted a 20 percent rating since November 25, 2015. Service connection for renal cell carcinoma (status post removal of right kidney) and prostate cancer are granted with effective dates prior to January 23, 2014.

The Veteran's permanent and total rating for service-connected prostate cancer was granted in an August 2018 rating decision, making the appeal moot.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include unspecified depressive disorder, is granted as service connected. The cases for tinnitus, sleep apnea, kidney disorder, prostate cancer, and Leukemia are remanded.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to determine the cause of the Veteran's death and whether his conditions, including hypertension and prostate cancer, were related to his service, particularly his exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals, including voiding dysfunction and urinary frequency, are rated at 40 percent effective September 1, 2012. The pre-aggravation baseline level of disability was 20 percent.

The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer, finding that the condition was not incurred or aggravated during active duty and is not related to a period of active duty.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was diagnosed in 2010, but he contends that VA failed to properly diagnose and treat his condition prior to this diagnosis. The Board has ordered additional development including obtaining all available VA treatment records from the Gainesville VAMC and requesting an addendum medical opinion.

The Board denied service connection for kidney failure, hypertension secondary to diabetes mellitus, and evaluations of major depression, prostate cancer, and diabetes mellitus type II. The Veteran's claims were remanded for further evaluation on other issues.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is found to have been incurred during his service in the Vietnam Combat Zone, and thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is being remanded for further development to determine if his duties and housing placement placed him near the base perimeter, which could support a finding of exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The claim for prostate cancer is remanded.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, status post proctectomy, is related to his military service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for gastrointestinal disabilities, prostate disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, heart condition, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, osteopenia, cervical spine disability, neurological impairment of the upper extremities, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, and foot disabilities are being remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer is being remanded as his prostatitis may be related to his current prostate disability. Additional development is needed regarding whether he has any residual disability from the prostatitis shown in service.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain, chronic gastritis with GERD, and hemorrhoids are being remanded as his most recent examinations in August 2017 were inadequate. Additional development is needed to determine the current functional impairment resulting from these disabilities.,

The Veteran's claims for prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and lung cancer were granted with effective dates of October 15, 2013, November 20, 2013, and not earlier than the date entitlement arose respectively. The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for lung cancer was denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides, and the preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding that his current conditions are related to service or secondary to any other condition.

The Board has determined that a remand is required to address the Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran regarding his anthrax vaccine.