Prostate cancer decisions — 2024

The Board has vacated its decision denying a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the service connection claims for prostate cancer, GERD, rhinitis, and right ankle sprain.,The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 30 percent.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and the proposal to reduce his prostate cancer rating was not finalized at the time of the appeal.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was granted service connection effective February 3, 2014. The Board found that the Veteran had exposure to herbicides in service near the Korean DMZ and this established presumptive service connection for prostate cancer.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer as new and relevant evidence had not been received to warrant readjudication.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as secondary to service-connected psoriasis. The issues of prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and a heart condition are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error and the need for a VA examination. The AOJ conceded the Veteran had prostate cancer and was exposed to toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) at Camp Lejeune, but further evidence is needed to establish a nexus between his current disability and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type 2, and hypertension due to a failure to confirm whether he participated in toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) during service. The AOJ is required to schedule the Veteran for a TERA examination to assess if his disabilities are related to his potential exposure to PFAS chemicals.

The Board has found a need for further development due to errors in the duty to assist, and has remanded the claims of service connection for cause of death and DIC.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The Veteran is currently rated at the maximum schedular rating available for residuals of prostate cancer and bladder cancer (60%). For major depressive disorder, he was previously rated at 100% but now has a reduced rating to 70%. He also received a grant for TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a procedural error in considering the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents while serving within Guam, and to allow for further development of his claim.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for prostate cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), rhinitis, and right ankle sprain due to inadequate medical opinions.,The VA examiner failed to provide adequate rationale for their negative opinion regarding the Veteran's prostate cancer claim. The Board finds a pre-decisional duty to assist error as there is no adequate medical opinion of record addressing whether the Veteran's prostate cancer is etiologically related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence linking the Veteran's prostate cancer to his service, including toxic exposure and radiation. A new examination is required to address these issues.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error and new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The issues include psychiatric disabilities, heart disability, residuals of head and face injury, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), chronic stomach disability, diabetes mellitus type II, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy, prostate cancer, and sleep disorder.

Service connection for prostate cancer is granted under the PACT Act. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy, bone cancer in spine, brain stem cancer, and lung cancer are remanded due to a duty to assist error.

The Veteran's claims for coronary artery disease, prostate cancer residuals, and immunoglobulin deficiency are denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and there is no evidence of exposure to herbicide agents. The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his exposure to herbicide agents, as he was previously denied in a May 2016 rating decision. The appeals are now pending and require further development including obtaining medical opinions and records.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has determined that an initial rating in excess of this amount is not warranted.

The Board has denied an increased rating for prostate cancer residuals, finding that the Veteran's voiding dysfunction does not require an appliance or absorbent materials changed more than four times per day.

The Veteran's service connection claims for prostate cancer and voiding dysfunction, secondary to prostate cancer, are both granted.