The Board found that the veteran's adenocarcinoma of the rectum was not incurred during service and could not be presumed to have been caused by exposure to Agent Orange. The evidence did not show a connection between the cancer and either service or Agent Orange exposure.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence showing that the adenocarcinoma of the rectum was caused by exposure to Agent Orange, and the medical evidence does not support an association between gastrointestinal tumors and herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- adenocarcinoma of the rectum
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 29, 2001
- Citation
- 0109259
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0109259.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for adenocarcinoma of the rectum, resolving any reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a December 17, 2020, effective date for the grant of service connection and a 30 percent rating for unstable scars s/p adenocarcinoma of the rectum.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for a compensable rating and an earlier effective date for adenocarcinoma of the rectum have been dismissed.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for adenocarcinoma of the rectum and a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus type 2.
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