The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for colon cancer and a lung disability, finding that the evidence does not support a direct causal relationship between these conditions and his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA opinions found that there was no scientific or medical evidence linking the Veteran's colon cancer to herbicide exposure or other toxic exposures during service. For the lung disability, the VA examiner opined that it was less likely than not related to service, including due to herbicide exposure and chemical/toxin exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- colon cancer, lung disability (cough variant asthma)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 1, 2025
- Citation
- 25008671
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of colon cancer, claimed as due to exposure to asbestos, for an addendum opinion considering additional evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for colon cancer as the evidence did not support a link between the Veteran's current condition and their in-service toxic exposure risk activity.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the service connection claim for colon cancer to obtain a medical opinion on its etiology, particularly regarding exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the claims.
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