The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for adenocarcinoma of the colon and metastatic carcinoma of the right lung due to asbestos exposure. The medical opinions found no direct causal relationship between the Veteran's asbestos exposure and his gastrointestinal or lung cancers.
The deciding factor: Medical opinions concluded that there was no direct causal link between the Veteran's asbestos exposure and his colorectal cancer, nor did they find a connection with his metastatic lung cancer which originated in his colon.
- Claimed conditions
- adenocarcinoma of the colon, metastatic carcinoma of the right lung
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 8, 2012
- Citation
- 1208944
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 1208944.
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: 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: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected adenocarcinoma of the colon and resection of the large intestine are granted. Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome is denied due to lack of a current diagnosis.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected due to the lack of evidence linking his conditions to military service, including exposure to herbicides. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a compensable disability at the time of discharge and that his conditions were not otherwise related to service.
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.