Prostate cancer decisions — 2023

The Veteran's prostate cancer is denied as there was no in-service exposure to Agent Orange and the evidence does not support a direct link between service and his current condition.

Service connection for ischemic heart condition and residuals of prostate cancer is granted pursuant to the PACT Act, effective August 10, 2022. Service connection for Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia is remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II (DM), and diabetic neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is rated at 20 percent and denied a higher rating.,The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals are rated at 40 percent from October 20, 2015 to December 29, 2020, and higher than 40 percent thereafter. A compensable rating for erectile dysfunction is also denied.

The Board denied service connection for cause of death, finding that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not contribute to his death. The Board noted that liver failure was caused by reactivation of hepatitis B due to medications used for non-service-connected rheumatic arthritis.

The Veteran's service connection for prostate cancer is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to restore a disability rating of 100 percent for prostate cancer residuals from June 1, 2016. The evidence showed that the Veteran was in remission and had voiding dysfunction meeting criteria for a 40 percent rating.

The Veteran's service connection for coronary artery disease and hypertension is granted. Service connection for prostate cancer, presumed due to exposure to burn pits, is also granted under the PACT Act. The issue of service connection for prostate cancer on any other basis than the PACT Act is remanded.

Service connection for prostate cancer is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents at the base perimeter in Thailand.

The Board has remanded several claims of service connection due to the need for additional records from the Dallas VAMC, which may be relevant to these cases.

The Veteran's claims for left knee arthritis with degenerative joint disease and medial meniscal/cartilage injury, right knee arthritis with degenerative joint disease, and prostate cancer have been granted. The claim for tinnitus has been remanded.,An increased rating for lumbar strain is also being remanded.

The Board denied an effective date prior to October 23, 2009 for the grant of service connection for prostate cancer as the claim was received on that date and no earlier claims were pending.

Service connection for coronary artery disease as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus type II is granted.,Service connection for right rib fracture as secondary to service-connected right foot neuroma and/or right foot peripheral neuropathy is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, squamous cell carcinoma, diabetes mellitus type 2, bladder cancer, sleep apnea, prostate cancer, and coronary artery disease, due to exposure to herbicides. The remand includes verifying Agent Orange exposure and scheduling VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at St. Peter's Medical Group on May 29, 2014 is denied because the treatment was not rendered in a medical emergency and VA facilities were feasibly available.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for prostate cancer, bladder leakage, and erectile dysfunction due to uncertainty about his exact training dates at Camp Lejeune and Camp Geiger from July to October 1972. The RO is instructed to search for records establishing these dates and make a formal finding regarding them.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for COPD, diabetes, heart impairment, and prostate cancer due to lack of available service treatment records. The Veteran's arguments indicate these conditions may be related to in-service exposure to various chemicals, but further development is needed.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, ischemic heart disease, and prostate cancer based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents during training at Fort Gordon in 1967.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for colon cancer, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and type II diabetes mellitus (DM2). The decision is based on insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for anxiety disorder and prostate cancer, as well as his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The issues are referred back to the AOJ for further evaluation.