The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for colonic adenocarcinoma, including as due to hazardous exposures in service, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide agent exposure and insufficient medical opinion supporting a link between the cancer and service.
The deciding factor: There is no credible evidence of herbicide agent exposure during service and the VA opinions found no etiological relationship between the Veteran's colonic adenocarcinoma and his in-service chemical exposures.
- Claimed conditions
- colonic adenocarcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2026
- Citation
- A26035951
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 A26035951.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure. The Board denied DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 and the cause of death claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between colonic adenocarcinoma and service, specifically exposure to carcinogens as a pharmacy specialist.
- Granted
Service connection is granted for prostate cancer due to exposure to herbicide agents during service. Service connection is remanded for colonic adenocarcinoma.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete records and for additional psychiatric examination.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.