The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for the cause of his death and for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 due to lack of evidence showing a causal link between any disability and service, including exposure to Agent Orange.
The deciding factor: The Board found no persuasive evidence linking the veteran's colorectal cancer to his military service or to exposure to herbicides like Agent Orange.
- Claimed conditions
- Adenocarcinoma of the colon
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 4, 2003
- Citation
- 0318895
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 0318895.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded two issues for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for mixed germ cell tumor of the right testis and adenocarcinoma of the colon, both on a direct basis without presumptive exposure. The Veteran's claims are pending prior to the enactment of the PACT Act.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that his exposure to Agent Orange during service in Vietnam caused his colon cancer.
- Denied
The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her husband's death and for DIC benefits, finding that there was no evidence linking his colon cancer to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that his colon cancer was not related to service or inservice exposure to ionizing radiation.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.