The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for rectal cancer, finding that there was no evidence linking his diagnosis to herbicide exposure. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis B is pending. The propriety of severing service connection for hepatitis C is also under review.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the veteran's rectal cancer was not linked to herbicide exposure, as there was no medical opinion linking the condition to such exposure and the disease did not manifest during or within one year after service.
- Claimed conditions
- rectal adenocarcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 7, 2007
- Citation
- 0738401
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 0738401.
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 the case for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's rectal disorder and colon disorders. The focus is on whether these conditions are related to service or if they are aggravated by a pre-existing condition.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and denied an earlier effective date for sleep apnea. The claims for service connection for migraine headaches and rectal adenocarcinoma were remanded.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and rectal adenocarcinoma was dismissed due to a late filing of the Board Appeal request.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting opinions regarding whether the Veteran's major depressive disorder with psychotic features contributed to his cause of death. The VA will need to obtain additional medical opinions to address this issue.
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