The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there is no evidence linking Agent Orange or JP-8 jet fuel exposure to colorectal cancer.
The deciding factor: The VA doctor found no research linking Agent Orange and JP-8 jet fuel to rectal cancer on the International Agency for Research on Cancer website.
- Claimed conditions
- colorectal cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19121119
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,017 · Granted: 36% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19121119.
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: Dismissed
Your appeal has been dismissed because the Veteran died during the pendency of your appeal. As a result, no decision can be made on your claims.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for colorectal cancer, a disability rating more than 60 percent for nephrosclerosis associated with type II diabetes mellitus, TDIU, and an earlier effective date for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA).
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's colorectal cancer is granted on a direct basis. The Board has also remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his GI disorders, including diverticulitis.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and a duty to assist error, requiring further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed colorectal disorder.
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