Citation Nr: 18155145
Decision Date: 12/03/18	Archive Date: 12/03/18

DOCKET NO. 16-30 480
DATE:	December 3, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to an increased rating for residuals of prostate cancer, to include the issue of whether the reduction of the disability rating from 100 percent to 40 percent, effective December 1, 2014 was proper, is remanded. 

REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served in the United States Army from August 1968 to August 1970.  His service awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge.

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) from a September 2014 rating decision of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO).

This appeal has been advanced on the Board’s docket pursuant to 38 C.F.R. 
§ 20.900 (c) (2018).  38 U.S.C. § 7107 (a)(2) (2012).

The Board finds that a remand is necessary for the RO to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC), as to whether the reduction in rating for prostate cancer from 100 percent to 40 percent, effective December 1, 2014 was proper.  
In a March 2014 rating decision, the RO proposed to reduce the Veteran’s disability rating for residuals of prostate cancer from 100 percent to 40 percent, and by the September 2014 rating decision, the RO effectuated the reduction, effective December 2014.  
Subsequently, the Veteran filed a timely notice of disagreement, in which he specifically disagreed with the reduction; however, the June 2016 Statement of the Case adjudicated the issue of whether he is entitled to a rating higher than 40 percent, but did not adjudicate the propriety of the reduction.
Inasmuch as the claim is being remanded, and the fact that the Veteran’s prostate disability has not examined since 2016 and that examination does not appear to have addressed all of the Veteran’s reported symptoms (see November 2018 Appellate Brief), an updated examination should be afforded to him to assess the disability’s current severity.     
Accordingly, the case is REMANDED for the following actions:
1.	Provide the Veteran with a VA examination to examine his prostate cancer residuals. The relevant documents in the record should be made available to the examiner.  A detailed history of relevant symptoms should be obtained from the Veteran.  All indicated studies should be performed. 
The examiner is asked to:
Report the extent of the Veteran's prostate cancer symptomatology in accordance with VA rating criteria, including the extent of any voiding dysfunction, urinary frequency (to include the severity and frequency of the Veteran's nocturia), and obstructed voiding, and should also address whether there has been any recurrence of cancer or associated metastasis.
2.	Readjudicate the increased rating claim on appeal, to include the issue of whether the reduction in the rating for prostate cancer from 100 percent to 40 percent, effective December 1, 2014, was proper.
  
S. B. MAYS
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	D. Wagner, Associate Counsel