The Veteran's colon cancer and atrial fibrillation are not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service, including presumed exposure to Agent Orange.,The Veteran's left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and low back disability were also not service-connected as there is no evidence connecting these conditions to his military service.
The deciding factor: There was no medical evidence linking the Veteran’s diagnosed colon cancer or atrial fibrillation to his presumed exposure to Agent Orange during his Vietnam service. The VA examiner found that the conditions are more likely due to non-service-related risk factors such as smoking, alcohol use, and age.
- Claimed conditions
- colon cancer, atrial fibrillation, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, low back disability
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 4, 2022
- Citation
- 22056037
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 22056037.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that remand is needed for the Veteran's claims due to duty to assist errors, including clarification of periods of service and obtaining relevant records. The Veteran will be afforded new medical examinations for each claimed disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims of right shoulder disability and low back disability due to insufficient evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of death and its relation to service. The Veteran's atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and colon cancer are being evaluated for their relationship to toxic exposure during service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disability was granted with an effective date of January 9, 2018. The Board accepted her November 21, 2019 VA Form 20-0996 as a valid opt-in of the April 2019 SOC into the modernized review system.
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