The Veteran's cause of death, metastatic adenocarcinoma of the colon, was not service connected as due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam or secondary to a previously service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no credible evidence linking the Veteran's colon cancer to his presumed exposure to herbicide agents and concluded that it was less likely than not caused by such exposure. The Board also determined there was insufficient evidence of throat cancer for which service connection could have been granted, thus precluding secondary service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic adenocarcinoma of the colon
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 1, 2021
- Citation
- A21019135
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 A21019135.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death was misdiagnosed and if he had soft tissue sarcoma instead. The RO is instructed to obtain an addendum medical opinion on these issues.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to metastatic adenocarcinoma of the colon, finding that there was no evidence linking it to service-connected disabilities or presumed exposure to Agent Orange.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the cause of death and the potential impact of herbicide exposure on the Veteran's condition.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board finds that the Veteran's asbestos exposure during active duty service contributed to his death by causing respiratory impairment, which affected his response to anti-cancer treatments.
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