The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and the appellant is no longer eligible for DIC as she remarried after her husband's death.
The deciding factor: The cause of the Veteran's death (adenocarcinoma of the colon) was not service-connected, and the appellant does not meet the criteria for a surviving spouse due to remarriage.
- Claimed conditions
- adenocarcinoma of the colon, porphyria cutanea tarda
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 19, 2011
- Citation
- 1130845
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 1130845.
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: Granted
The Veteran's adenocarcinoma of the colon is granted as secondary to his service-connected other specified trauma and stressor related disorder to include alcohol use disorder. The back disability claim is remanded for further development.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for porphyria cutanea tarda, finding that it manifested within one year of his exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The appeal is granted.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for colon cancer was denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the condition and his military service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for an additional addendum opinion to determine whether any associated exceptional or unusual disability is associated with the Veteran's porphyria cutanea tarda.
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