Prostate cancer decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding asbestos exposure and its relation to the Veteran's cause of death, as well as a medical opinion on whether the granulomatous disease contributed to his death.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for incontinence and increased disability ratings for persistent depressive disorder due to inadequate VA medical opinions and missing VA treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and prostate cancer have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability.

The Veteran's prostate cancer claim is remanded due to the need for additional medical records. The Board will seek out all relevant treatment records, including those from Dr. G. Hull and the Tampa VAMC.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer as new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claim, and there is no indication of in-service exposure or a nexus between prostate cancer and military service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, prostate cancer, and chronic myeloid leukemia due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection. Additional development is needed including obtaining deck logs from ships the Veteran served on, verifying herbicide exposure, and requesting VA treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his prostate cancer or pancreatic cancer to his active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for a VA examination and medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's prostate cancer is related to his service, specifically his participation in toxic exposure risk activity (TERA).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction due to insufficient evidence regarding herbicide exposure. The RO is instructed to verify if the U.S.S. Ranger was within 12 nautical miles from the shores of Vietnam during the relevant period, as well as whether the Veteran served on helicopters that flew to specific locations. Additionally, a VA examination is needed for both prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction claims.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the inextricability with his pending hearing loss claim. The prostate cancer service connection claim has been granted, and thus no longer on appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's prostate cancer is related to his active-duty service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction due to a lack of an adequate opinion regarding these conditions. The Veteran's esophageal conditions are denied as there is no evidence linking them to his active service.

The Board has denied service connection for prostate cancer as the evidence does not support a finding that it was incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals were rated at 100% following a prostatectomy in June 2016. The rating was subsequently reduced to 20%, effective November 1, 2017.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted service connection under the PACT Act, and his claims for peripheral neuropathy are remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer, finding that his current diagnosis is related to his military service due to toxic exposure as an aviation machinist's mate.

The Board has remanded the claims for neurological disability of the right upper extremity and right wrist disability due to inadequate medical opinions.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the service connection issues.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for additional development due to a lack of adequate examination and opinion regarding his exposure to herbicides at Fort Polk, Louisiana.

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

The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted presumptive service connection under the PACT Act, effective August 10, 2022. Service connection for a heart disability and prostate cancer prior to this date remains remanded.,Further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's current heart disability and prostate cancer are related to his military service.