Board Decision Lookup › Prostate cancer
How the Board ruled on prostate cancer claims, 2021–2025
How the Board of Veterans' Appeals ruled on prostate cancer service-connection claims in 2021–2025, for every theory and secondary pairing we publish. Board-appealed cases only, counted per claim. Last updated October 4, 2026.
These are past Board decisions, not a prediction for any individual case, and not legal advice. The percentage is among DECIDED cases; cases sent back to VA (remanded) are counted separately.
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Prostate cancer (direct service connection)
Direct (began in or was caused by service), or theory not stated in the Board order
59.5% granted of 1,013 decided cases (margin of error 56.5–62.5%). 603 granted, 410 denied, 791 sent back to VA (remanded, not decided), 157 dismissed.
What convinced the Board in granted cases
- The Board gave substantial weight to private or treating physician opinions that reviewed the history and literature, ruled out other risk factors such as family history or smoking, and gave a full rationale. (7 of 12 decisions read; e.g. 21054542, 23019872, A21007412)
- The Board gave no weight to VA opinions against a link that misstated exposure studies, rested on inaccurate facts, relied only on a lack of literature, or gave too little rationale. (3 of 12 decisions read; e.g. A24041641, A25003554, A21007412)
- The Board accepted herbicide exposure in Thailand based on the veteran's credible accounts of perimeter duties and other circumstantial evidence, which brought prostate cancer under the herbicide presumption. (3 of 12 decisions read; e.g. A21011427, 23056388, 22048809)
Common reasons in denied cases
- The Board denied when no medical opinion linked the cancer to service, or only VA opinions against a link existed; the veteran's own belief about the cause was not competent evidence. (6 of 12 decisions read; e.g. 21002845, A23022058, 22016010)
- The Board denied when the claimed in-service exposure was not shown, such as no qualifying Vietnam or Thailand service, no radiation exposure, or only vague claims of chemical exposure. (5 of 12 decisions read; e.g. 22031443, A24055697, A24030988)
- The Board noted that service records showed no prostate problems and the cancer was first found decades after service. (4 of 12 decisions read; e.g. A23022058, A24055697, 22031443)
Prostate cancer (exposure claims)
Exposure (e.g. Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, burn pits)
51.9% granted of 366 decided cases (margin of error 46.8–57.0%). 190 granted, 176 denied, 293 sent back to VA (remanded, not decided), 24 dismissed.
What convinced the Board in granted cases
- For exposures without a presumption, such as Camp Lejeune water or radiation, the Board granted when a qualified, well-informed favorable opinion, including a treating physician's, was as strong as the negative one, putting the evidence in balance. (3 of 7 decisions read; e.g. 21010474, A21002940, 22048750)
- The most common path was the Board finding herbicide exposure in Thailand on the facts, from records and testimony placing the veteran near a base perimeter, so prostate cancer was presumed service-connected. (4 of 7 decisions read; e.g. A21009319, 21060153, A24021795)
- The Board accepted the veteran's consistent, credible statements about his duties and exposure when records backed up the details. (3 of 7 decisions read; e.g. A21009319, A24021795, 22048750)
Common reasons in denied cases
- The only reasoned medical opinions, such as VA opinions and radiation dose estimates, were against the claim, and any private opinion did not actually state whether the exposure caused the cancer. (6 of 13 decisions read; e.g. 21025007, 22055406, 21002081)
- The cancer was diagnosed decades after service with nothing in service records, and the veteran's own belief that service caused it was not competent medical evidence. (5 of 13 decisions read; e.g. A21013883, A22015614, 21056029)
- Some claims failed because herbicide exposure was not shown, for example deck logs did not place the ship within Vietnam's waters. (2 of 13 decisions read, few decisions; e.g. A24060577, 22054588)
Prostate cancer secondary to any service-connected condition
Secondary (caused or worsened by a service-connected condition)
38.9% granted of 54 decided cases (margin of error 27.0–52.2%). 21 granted, 33 denied, 63 sent back to VA (remanded, not decided), 4 dismissed.
What convinced the Board in granted cases
- Most grants rested on herbicide exposure: prostate cancer is on the herbicide presumption list, so once Vietnam, Korean DMZ, offshore, or Thailand perimeter exposure was found, the link was presumed. (7 of 11 decisions read; e.g. 22046967, A24055911, A24004152)
- Where no presumption applied, the Board granted on a medical opinion that explained the link, such as testosterone given for service-connected erectile dysfunction, or fuel exposure supported by cited literature. (4 of 11 decisions read; e.g. 21011051, 23055841, A25004600)
Common reasons in denied cases
- The Board denied when a VA opinion with a reasoned rationale, often naming age, obesity, or low exposure as more likely causes, went unrebutted by any contrary medical opinion. (7 of 15 decisions read; e.g. 22003555, 23005960, 21016559)
- Herbicide exposure was not shown: no Vietnam, DMZ, or qualifying Thailand duty, and theories like wind-blown spray or contaminated vehicles were rejected. (8 of 15 decisions read; e.g. 22031690, A21009523, A23006333)
- The veteran's own belief that service or a service-connected condition caused the cancer was not competent medical evidence. (6 of 15 decisions read; e.g. 22043384, 23036540, 22040226)
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Other conditions
- Alcohol or substance use disorder
- Anemia / blood disorder
- Ankle
- Arm / upper extremity
- Arthritis
- Asthma / COPD / lung condition
- Bladder / urinary condition
- Chronic fatigue
- Dental / jaw
- Depression / psychiatric disorder
- Diabetes
- Elbow
- Erectile dysfunction
- Eye / vision
- Fibromyalgia
- Foot (flat feet / plantar fasciitis)
- GERD / acid reflux
- Hand / fingers
- Hearing loss
- Heart disease
- Hemorrhoids
- Hepatitis / liver
- Hernia
- Hip
- Hypertension
- Insomnia / sleep disorder
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Kidney disease
- Knee
- Low back (lumbar spine)
- Lower leg (incl. shin splints)
- Memory loss / cognitive
- Migraine / headaches
- Neck (cervical spine)
- Parkinson's disease
- Prostate (non-cancer)
- Prostate cancer
- PTSD
- Radiculopathy / peripheral neuropathy
- Sarcoidosis / pulmonary fibrosis
- Seizure disorder
- Shoulder
- Sinusitis / rhinitis
- Skin condition
- Sleep apnea
- Stroke
- Thyroid
- Tinnitus
- Vertigo / dizziness
- Wrist
Percentages are shown only for combinations with at least 30 decided cases (granted + denied). Named secondary pairings with 10–29 decided cases are listed as "small sample" with counts only. "ANY service-connected condition (all combined)" pools every secondary claim for that condition. Other combinations exist, but there are too few decided cases to report. Each claim is counted by the Board's ruling on that specific claim (a decision covering several issues is split by issue). Remanded = sent back to VA for more work, not decided. "What convinced the Board" summarizes a reading of up to 25 granted and 25 denied Board decisions for each claim type, with the decision numbers shown so any point can be checked. Board-appealed cases only, not regional-office decisions. Information only, not legal advice. Flat Rate Nexus is a private medical practice, not affiliated with the VA.
Source: Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions, 2021–2025. Last updated October 4, 2026. flatratenexus.com · Privacy · Terms