Prostate cancer decisions — 2026

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer on a presumptive basis due to herbicide agent exposure during the Veteran's service in Korea.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted service connection due to the PACT Act, as it was presumed related to herbicide exposure during his service in Thailand and Guam.

The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals prior to January 5, 2026 are rated at 10 percent. From January 5, 2026, the Veteran is granted a 20 percent rating for his prostate cancer residuals. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is not compensable.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on loss of use of the feet has been denied. The claims for aid and attendance due to PTSD, voiding dysfunction, secondary to prostate cancer with radiation burn causing internal bleeding, asthma, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy have been remanded. The need for a higher level of care claim has also been remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) examination to determine if his kidney disability is related to herbicide agent exposure in Vietnam. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to the complexity of the issues and the need for additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer, rated at 100% since October 17, 2013, and later reduced to a 60% rating effective August 1, 2015, has rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.,Additionally, the Veteran is entitled to special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate due to his service-connected prostate cancer.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to readjudicate his claim for service connection for prostate cancer because no new and relevant evidence has been received since the December 2009 rating decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer is granted, effective as of June 1, 2025. The original decision was based on a TERA (toxic exposure risk activity) and the new evidence supports this connection.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for prostate cancer and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer residuals was dismissed due to a duty to assist error identified in the prior rating decision, and the matter is being developed by the AOJ.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed as moot because he already has a 100% rating for prostate cancer and SMC, which covers his employment issues.

The Veteran's hemorrhoids have been granted a 20% rating. The claims for service connection of bilateral hand conditions, prostate cancer, and migraines are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and development.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for ischemic heart disease, a skin disorder (melasma), and prostate cancer due to potential exposure to herbicide agents in Guam under the PACT Act.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of January 4, 2023, for a 60 percent rating for prostate cancer status post XRT, finding that the earliest evidence showing entitlement to this rating was in July 2024.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for prostate cancer as due to herbicide agent exposure, finding no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and insufficient evidence linking the condition to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing (SAH) or special home adaptation (SHA) grant due to his respiratory disability, which is presumed by the PACT Act. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a permanent and total disability resulting in anatomical loss of use of both hands, burns, or residuals of an inhalational injury.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of travel expenses and copayments associated with his prostate cancer treatment at a non-VA facility is denied as he did not meet the eligibility criteria for beneficiary travel benefits, and VA may not reimburse him for copayments under applicable laws.

The Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer alone renders him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting an effective date of February 27, 2020, for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) on an extraschedular basis.