Prostate cancer Board decisions

The reduction in the rating for postoperative residuals of prostate cancer from 100 percent to 40 percent was proper, and a 60 percent rating is warranted as of November 1, 2008.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, incontinence, and kidney stones as a residual of herbicide exposure is being remanded due to lack of factual evidence of herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for restoration of a 40 percent rating for prostate cancer residuals is granted. The claim for an increased rating for prostate cancer from February 1, 2009 remains pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for prostate cancer, skin cancer, and bladder cancer due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Veteran did not have service in Vietnam or exposure to herbicides during service.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to new and material evidence. The case is remanded to determine if the Veteran was exposed to radiation during his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus. The Veteran did not have these conditions during service or within one year of separation, and there was no evidence linking them to service.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus is rated at 20 percent, effective January 27, 2005. The post-operative residuals of prostate cancer are rated at 10 percent prior to August 26, 2005 and 20 percent thereafter. Erectile dysfunction does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer was denied as there is no evidence of in-service incurrence or a relationship to service, including exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for asthma, arteriosclerotic heart disease, and prostate cancer. The evidence does not show these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure and no medical evidence linking the condition to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's exposure claims and further development is required.

The Board found that the Veteran was not exposed to herbicides during service and thus could not establish a presumption of exposure. The evidence did not support a finding of direct causation for prostate cancer or diabetes mellitus, leading to denial of both claims.

The Board found that the reduction of the Veteran's prostate cancer evaluation from 100 percent to 40 percent was proper, and that a 40 percent rating for urinary incontinence is appropriate.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than December 17, 2007 for the grant of service connection for prostate cancer due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for pleurisy and right ear hearing loss was denied. The Board found no current disability of pleurisy, but determined that the Veteran had a current disability of right ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's prostate cancer, which was previously rated at 100 percent, should now be rated at 60 percent effective January 1, 2009. The reduction in rating is based on the absence of evidence of recurrence or metastasis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are not related to service, including exposure to VX nerve agent. Service connection for all conditions is denied.

The Veteran's service records do not show in-country duty or visitation in Vietnam. Prostate cancer and its residuals, including incontinence and erectile dysfunction, were initially demonstrated years after service and have not been shown to be causally related to the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for post-operative residuals of prostate cancer is granted, with an effective date from August 14, 2008. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and hiatal hernia are all denied.