Prostate cancer Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for residuals of prostate cancer prior to September 26, 2013 and from that date was denied. The current disability rating remains at 20 percent prior to September 26, 2013 and at 40 percent from that date.

The Veteran's DDD of the cervical spine is found to be proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, specifically his DDD of the lumbar spine and right leg shortening. His prostate cancer was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's postoperative residuals of prostate cancer, status post radical prostatectomy, warrant a 40 percent rating effective June 17, 2009. The primary disability is chronic bladder cystitis due to radiation therapy.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted service connection based on herbicide exposure in Thailand. The tumors of the upper right shoulder and left arm are also found to be related to his prostate cancer.

The Veteran's residuals of prostate cancer, including urinary incontinence requiring absorbent materials more than four times per day and daytime voiding intervals less than one hour, have been granted a 60 percent disability rating since September 16, 2010.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange during service. However, bladder cancer was not found to be related to service or presumptive exposure.

The Veteran's death was caused by metastatic prostate cancer and its complications, which were not service-connected. The service-connected conditions did not contribute to his death.

The Board found that there is no evidence of a connection between the Veteran's prostate and colon cancer and his service, including exposure to ionizing radiation. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including an examination to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions and whether they are related to herbicide exposure at Fort Drum.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure while stationed in Korea, and he has been diagnosed with the condition. As a result, his claim for service connection for prostate cancer is granted.

The Veteran's service connection claims for ischemic heart disease and prostate cancer are granted as they are presumed to be due to herbicide exposure, including Agent Orange.

The Board has vacated its September 2012 decision regarding the effective date for service connection of prostate cancer and denied all other claims. The Veteran's prostate cancer was not granted earlier than September 5, 2002, as he did not submit a claim prior to that date.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the proximate cause of his death was an unforeseeable event (developing ileus), which occurred during post-operative care at VA. The Board finds that neither the service-connected disabilities nor any other condition contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as the reduction of his prostate cancer rating from 100% to 10% was proper, and service connection for glaucoma, nephrolithiasis (kidney stones), bronchiectasis, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and a temporary total rating based on surgical or other treatment necessitating convalescence associated with a service-connected disability or condition were not granted.

The Veteran's pleural plaques are rated at 60 percent, prostate cancer is not service connected as secondary to Agent Orange exposure, and erectile dysfunction is also not service connected as secondary to prostate cancer. The Veteran was granted service connection for pleural plaques.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a supplemental opinion and/or another examination regarding his erectile dysfunction, as there are conflicting opinions on whether he has an internal physical deformity of the penis. The issue will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Veteran's bilateral foot bunions, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, and left finger and hand neuropathy were not service-connected.,There was no evidence of exposure to herbicide agents or other presumptive conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded to develop the radiation exposure claim and determine if his conditions are related to non-ionizing (microwave) radiation exposure during service.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer due to exposure to herbicides, specifically Agent Orange. The erectile dysfunction is also found to be secondary to the service-connected prostate cancer.