The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's metastatic colon cancer, which caused his death from liver failure, was related to herbicide exposure during service. As a result, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence presented by both the appellant and VA supports the theory that the Veteran's herbicide exposure in Vietnam contributed to his development of metastatic colon cancer, which led to his death from liver failure.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic colon cancer, liver failure
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 27, 2016
- Citation
- 1625669
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 1625669.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death was metastatic colon cancer, but the appellant contends it was caused by exposure to ionizing radiation during his service as an X-ray technician. The case is remanded for further development regarding dose estimation and consideration under VA regulations.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be related to service-connected conditions, specifically metastatic colon cancer and coronary artery disease. The Board granted the claim for service connection based on the evidence provided.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between his service-connected conditions and his death. The Board requests a medical opinion on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically in obtaining VA medical records and an adequate medical opinion regarding the cause of death.
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