Prostate cancer decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease and prostate cancer, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted TDIU based on these conditions and awarded SMC at the housebound rate due to his combined disability rating of 80 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder precludes him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment, leading to a TDIU effective April 20, 2017.,SMC at the 's' rate is granted due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities combining to 60 percent.

The Board denied service connection for prostate condition, diabetes mellitus type II, and neuropathy of the lower extremities due to lack of evidence supporting exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in the previous VA examination and a need for further development. The Veteran's prostate cancer is being reviewed again, with an emphasis on whether it began during service or is related to his exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable disability rating for prostate cancer residuals was denied, while the TDIU claim was granted effective February 17, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) prior to April 30, 2015 has been dismissed as moot because he is already receiving Special Monthly Compensation based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, Type II, and prostate cancer disabilities have all been denied.,There is no evidence of current disability or in-service incurrence of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate opinion regarding the Veteran's prostate cancer and its relation to exposure to herbicide agents. The Veteran's claim is being returned for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for colon cancer is being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the relationship between his in-service herbicide exposure and his current condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for throat conditions, including GERD, Zenker's diverticulum, history of Barrett's esophagus, mild functional pharyngeal dysphagia, and gastritis, is being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the relationship between his in-service herbicide exposure and his current condition.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance or housebound status is denied because he does not meet the criteria for either SMC rate.

The Veteran's ambulance transportation to Baylor Medical Center on March 3, 2014 was approved as it met the criteria for payment or reimbursement under VA regulations. The Veteran had a total and permanent service-connected disability at the time of transport, the ambulance transport was in response to a medical emergency (nosebleed), and there were no feasibly available VA facilities within reasonable distance.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted service connection due to the PACT Act, which presumes exposure to herbicides for veterans who served in Thailand during specified time periods.

The Veteran's fecal incontinence has been rated at 30 percent, the maximum available rating for occasional involuntary bowel movements or impairment of sphincter control necessitating the wearing of a pad.,Service connection is granted for pruritis ani (recurrent hemorrhoids) as secondary to service-connected fecal incontinence.

The Veteran's Hodgkin's disease, prostate cancer, and diabetes mellitus are granted as presumptively related to herbicide exposure. The claim for skin cancer is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to non-compliance with previous directives and because of concerns about the validity of certain literature submitted by the Veteran regarding his exposure to burn pits during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations regarding the Veteran's prostate cancer residuals, including whether his fecal incontinence is related to his history of prostate cancer.

The Board has determined that the appeal was erroneously docketed and is now under the legacy appeals system. The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded to allow the AOJ to issue a statement of the case.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for prostate cancer was denied, and the VA compensation for an additional collapsed lung disorder was also denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional evidence and an expert opinion regarding the cause of death. The Veteran's death was caused by cardiac arrest, congestive heart failure, stroke, and prostate cancer.