The Board has granted service connection for adenocarcinoma colon (colon cancer) due to contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune, but denied service connection for diverticular disease, which the Veteran contends is related to his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: The private medical opinion provided in December 2025 supported a causal relationship between the Veteran's exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and his diagnosed colon cancer. The VA opinions of August and December 2024 were against the Veteran's claim for diverticular disease, as they did not support a connection to service or exposure to contaminated water.
- Claimed conditions
- adenocarcinoma colon (colon cancer), diverticular disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 29, 2026
- Citation
- A26039966
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 A26039966.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions provided by VA examiners regarding the etiology and pathophysiology of the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability, specifically functional abdominal pain syndrome and/or diverticular disease. The case will be returned for further examination and opinion.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for Type II diabetes mellitus, to include entitlement to separate compensable ratings for erectile dysfunction, urinary frequency, diverticular disease, and fatty liver disease, has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA examination and opinion provided were not in compliance with the remand directives, necessitating another remand for additional development. Specifically, the Veteran's claim of service connection for diverticular disease is being remanded due to incomplete records and a need for an addendum opinion addressing causation.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diverticular disease and hemorrhoids, finding that these conditions are related to an in-service injury.
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