Prostate cancer decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, and ischemic heart disease. Service connection for PTSD is remanded.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is presumed to have been incurred during his active service in Thailand during the Vietnam era, and thus he is granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (diabetes and prostate cancer) preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection of prostate cancer as secondary to malignant melanoma due to a lack of substantial compliance with prior remand orders and consideration of relevant medical literature.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected due to exposure during active duty.,Diabetes mellitus type II is service-connected as a result of herbicide exposure, while prostate cancer and heart condition are also connected through this presumption.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and incontinence due to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during his service in Thailand and Vietnam. The conditions are presumed as they fall under the VA policy recognizing herbicide exposure at military bases like Don Muang RTAFB.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than December 10, 2008, for a 10 percent disability rating for open angle glaucoma of the right eye is also being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for prostate cancer, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy were denied as there was no evidence of significant disability that warranted a higher evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for cataract of the left eye, prostate cancer, and basal cell carcinoma, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service or exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals are rated at a 40 percent disability rating, effective December 1, 2016. Service connection for diabetes mellitus is granted as secondary to Agent Orange exposure.

The claims for prostate cancer, coronary artery disease, and diabetes mellitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for liver disability and acquired psychiatric disorder due to withdrawal by his representative. Service connection was granted for prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus, type II, as due to herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for further development regarding exposure to herbicidal agents while in-service.

The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim for service connection of a back disorder is granted. The claim for an increased rating for lymphedema of the right lower extremity remains denied, but the claim for an increased rating for prostate cancer is granted and assigned a 60% disability rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran had prostate cancer, which is presumed to be due to his in-service herbicide exposure. As a result, service connection for prostate cancer is granted.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease and prostate cancer are granted as they are presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during service.

The Veteran's claims for prostate cancer residuals, diabetes mellitus, type II, and skin cancer are all granted. The claim for erectile dysfunction is also granted as secondary to the service-connected prostate cancer.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that metastatic prostate cancer was the primary cause and there was no evidence linking it to service. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's death was caused by metastatic adrenal oncocytoma, but his prostate cancer is considered a primary cancer that contributed substantially to the cause of death. Given the Veteran's service in Vietnam and the presumption of herbicide exposure, the Board grants service connection for the cause of death as a result of exposure to herbicides.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of medical evidence and potential exposure to cancer causing materials during service.