The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death due to colon cancer, finding that there was no direct evidence linking the condition to service. The Veteran's rheumatic fever was not shown to have hastened his death.
The deciding factor: There is no direct evidence showing a link between the Veteran's service and his development of colon cancer, which was the cause of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- colon carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 28, 2010
- Citation
- 1024026
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1024026.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death, including colon carcinoma, kidney metastasis, and bladder cancer, did not result from exposure to herbicide agents or asbestos, and it is not otherwise related to the Veteran's service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not caused by or contributed to by any service-connected condition, including presumed exposure to herbicides. The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's cardiac arrest to his service-connected PTSD.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inability to make a fully informed decision on the issue of service connection for cause of death, as there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding herbicide exposure. The Veteran's death certificate lists colon carcinoma as the immediate cause of death.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's cause of death, which included colon carcinoma, is found to be related to his in-service herbicide exposure (Agent Orange). Service connection for the cause of death is granted.
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