The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a dose assessment from the Department of Defense to determine if the veteran's colon cancer is related to exposure to ionizing radiation in service.
The deciding factor: The VA must obtain a dose assessment for the veteran as required by regulations and then refer the case to the VA Under Secretary for Benefits for an opinion on whether the veteran's colon cancer is related to exposure to ionizing radiation in service.
- Claimed conditions
- colon cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Ionizing radiation
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 7, 2003
- Citation
- 0304044
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 0304044.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of colon cancer, claimed as due to exposure to asbestos, for an addendum opinion considering additional evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for colon cancer as the evidence did not support a link between the Veteran's current condition and their in-service toxic exposure risk activity.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the service connection claim for colon cancer to obtain a medical opinion on its etiology, particularly regarding exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for residuals of colon cancer and prostate cancer, finding no evidence linking the conditions to the Veteran's in-service asbestos exposure.
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