The veteran's claim for service connection for colon cancer was granted on a presumptive basis due to radiation exposure during service, effective March 26, 2002. The effective date cannot be earlier than this as the law change that allowed this type of presumption became effective on March 26, 2002.
The deciding factor: The veteran's claim for service connection was granted based on a liberalizing regulation that added colon cancer to the list of conditions associated with radiation exposure during service. The earliest evidence supporting this claim came after the effective date of the new law.
- Claimed conditions
- Colon Cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Ionizing radiation
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2005
- Citation
- 0506846
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 0506846.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities were not of such severity to prevent him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation, and his TDIU claim was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to insufficient evidence showing that VA's failure to diagnose the Veteran's colon cancer resulted in additional disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was due to respiratory failure from lung cancer, which was metastatic from his primary colon cancer. The Board found that the Veteran's lung cancer and colon cancer were not related to service or any in-service exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for colon cancer and hypertension were denied in the April 2024 Board decision. The reduction of his disability rating from 50% to 30% was found proper.
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.