The Board remands the service connection claim for metastatic colon cancer as the Veteran's cause of death to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the etiology of the condition, considering all applicable military deployments and toxic exposure risk activities.
The deciding factor: The December 2022 supplemental claim decision did not adequately address the deficiencies in the evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's metastatic colon cancer and his TERA, specifically exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and herbicide agent exposure in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- Metastatic colon cancer
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 12, 2025
- Citation
- A25023054
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,680 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A25023054.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and DIC benefits because the Regional Office failed to obtain a VA medical opinion to determine whether the veteran's service-connected disabilities caused, contributed to, or aggravated his death from metastatic colon cancer. The Board found a reasonable possibility that a medical opinion would aid in substantiating the claim, particularly regarding whether alcohol use disorder was a risk factor for the colon cancer.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II contributed to his death from metastatic colon cancer. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise and grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death was not related to his active military service, including exposure to asbestos or non-ionizing radiation. The Board also found no evidence of VA negligence in diagnosing and treating the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the cause of death listed on the Veteran's death certificate (ventricular fibrillation, septic shock, and metastatic colon cancer) was not caused or substantially contributed to by a service-connected disability. The VA medical expert opinion did not support a diagnosis of asbestosis.
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