The Board found that the Veteran did not have service in the Republic of Vietnam and there was no evidence to support a finding that his cancers were caused by Agent Orange exposure. Therefore, the claim for service connection for cause of death due to Agent Orange exposure is denied.
The deciding factor: There is no credible evidence showing the Veteran had service or exposure to Agent Orange during his military service which would allow for a presumption of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- colon polyps, thyroid mass, tongue lesion, check cancer, lymph nodes
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 25, 2013
- Citation
- 1306334
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 1306334.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, chronic ear infections, chronic allergic rhinitis, colon polyps, squamous cell carcinoma, and chronic headaches (to include as due to sinusitis) based on the lack of current diagnoses.,The Veteran's assertions were not considered competent evidence regarding his claimed conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for bruising due to lack of a current diagnosis. The claims for breast tumors, gall bladder condition, and colon polyps are remanded as the evidence does not include an opinion on their relationship to active duty service or any toxic exposures.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for a headache disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and an esophageal condition are granted. The claim for service connection for a chronic fatigue disability is denied. The claim for a compensable evaluation for service-connected colon polyps is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for colon polyps and a rating greater than 10 percent for a nonlinear scar on the waist/left hip due to inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran's prostate cancer is also service connected, complicating the secondary service connection claim.
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