The Veteran's claim for service connection for colon cancer was denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the condition and his military service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have any complaints or diagnoses related to colon cancer during service, and the current condition was diagnosed more than 50 years after separation from active duty. The Board found no evidence linking the current condition to service.
- Claimed conditions
- adenocarcinoma of the colon, colon cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 20, 2026
- Citation
- A26005009
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 A26005009.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's adenocarcinoma of the colon is granted as secondary to his service-connected other specified trauma and stressor related disorder to include alcohol use disorder. The back disability claim is remanded for further development.
- 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 service connection for colon cancer and liver cancer is granted due to the relationship between his in-service toxic exposures, including burn pits. His liver cancer was found to be related to his now service-connected colon cancer.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for colon cancer, finding that his current diagnosis of colon cancer is related to toxic exposures in service and resolving any reasonable doubt in his favor.
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