Prostate cancer Board decisions

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, stomach disorder, high cholesterol, and an eye disorder prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's prostate cancer disability has been productive of urinary dysfunction resulting in the wearing of absorbent materials by the Veteran which must be changed 4 times a day, but not more. The criteria for an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for prostate cancer disability with residual voiding dysfunction have not been met during the appeal period.

The preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that the Veteran's prostate cancer was incurred in or otherwise the result of his active service, to include in-service radiation exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer has been reopened and granted due to his exposure to herbicides during service.,Service connection is also granted for kidney cancer, skin cancer, COPD, urinary incontinence as secondary to prostate cancer, and a psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, osteopenia, and bilateral hearing loss have been denied. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's depressive disorder is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The heart disorder claim remains pending as it involves secondary service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claim for prostate cancer, claimed as due to herbicide exposure, is denied because there is no persuasive medical evidence or opinion establishing a relationship between this disability and his service. The Veteran did not serve in Vietnam during the Vietnam Era and there is no objective evidence of actual herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's room and board costs at Pueblo Regent from September 30, 2010 through December 2011 may be included as an unreimbursed medical expense for the purpose of computing his eligibility to receive special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance.

The Board found that the Veteran's prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and bladder disorder are not related to his service. The tongue cancer was also denied as there is no evidence of its onset during service or connection to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be etiologically related to his service. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss, which is related to active service due to hazardous noise exposure as per MOS classification. However, there is no definitive evidence linking the Veteran's prostate condition (claimed as prostate cancer) to his active service.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and vocational assessment, as well as updated treatment records.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the issues of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 60 percent for prostate cancer status post radical prostatectomy due to herbicide exposure, entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee degenerative changes, and entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right ankle strain.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, providing proper VCAA notice, and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his left shoulder disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for prostate cancer residuals has been withdrawn. The Board also found that the Veteran is not unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals have been rated at a maximum of 60 percent since January 2005, effective from the date of claim. The higher rating is granted based on his need to change absorbent materials more than four times per day.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verifying overpayment and copayment amounts, and considering whether the Veteran's income was reduced due to these factors. The claim will be reconsidered based on this additional information.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of prostate cancer, including urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction, were found to be manifested by severe symptoms prior to February 17, 2016. Effective from December 1, 2009, the Veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for these conditions.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, and pancreatic cancer were not service-connected. The cause of death was also not service-connected.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for an SOC addressing whether the reduction in his prostate cancer evaluation from 100% to 30% effective June 1, 2011 was proper. The issues of service connection for a low back disability and TDIU will be addressed in a separate decision.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is not considered to be caused by or permanently worsened in severity by his service-connected malignant melanoma.