The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, colon cancer, is related to his service due to exposure to Agent Orange. The claim for service connection for the cause of death is granted.
The deciding factor: Competent evidence established a link between the Veteran’s in-service herbicide agent exposure and his development of colorectal cancer, which contributed substantially to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Colon Cancer
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20047741
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 20047741.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities were not of such severity to prevent him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation, and his TDIU claim was denied.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to insufficient evidence showing that VA's failure to diagnose the Veteran's colon cancer resulted in additional disability.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was due to respiratory failure from lung cancer, which was metastatic from his primary colon cancer. The Board found that the Veteran's lung cancer and colon cancer were not related to service or any in-service exposure.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for colon cancer and hypertension were denied in the April 2024 Board decision. The reduction of his disability rating from 50% to 30% was found proper.
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