General Information on Claims Based on Exposure to Asbestos

Overview

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1. SC for Asbestos-Related Diseases

Change Date

July 29, 2021

VIII.iii.7.A.1.a. Entitlement to Compensation for Conditions Based on Exposure to Asbestos

Veterans who were exposed to asbestos while in service and developed a disease related to that asbestos exposure may receive compensation benefits.

In order to establish entitlement to compensation based on exposure to asbestos, the evidence must show

• in-service asbestos exposure, and
• a diagnosed disability that has been associated with in-service asbestos exposure.

Note: Occupational exposure is the most common cause of asbestosis, but the condition also can have other causes.

2. General Information on Asbestos and Diseases Related to Asbestos Exposure

Introduction

This topic contains information on asbestos and diseases related to asbestos exposure, including

• definition of asbestos
• general effects of asbestos exposure
• prevalence of specific diseases resulting from exposure to asbestos
• latent period for development of disease due to exposure to asbestos, and
• diagnostic indicators of asbestosis.

Change Date

July 29, 2021

VIII.iii.7.A.2.a. Definition: Asbestos

Asbestos is a fibrous form of silicate mineral of varied chemical composition and physical configuration, derived from serpentine and amphibole ore bodies.

Common materials that may contain asbestos include

• steam pipes for heating units and boilers
• ceiling tiles
• roofing shingles
• wallboard
• fire-proofing materials, and
• thermal insulation.

Note: Due to concerns about the safety of asbestos, the use of materials containing asbestos has declined in the U.S. since the 1970s.

VIII.iii.7.A.2.b. General Effects of Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos fiber masses have a tendency to break easily into tiny dust particles that can float in the air, stick to clothes, and may be inhaled or swallowed.

Inhalation of asbestos fibers can produce

• fibrosis, the most commonly occurring of which is interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, or asbestosis
• tumors
• pleural effusions and fibrosis
• pleural plaques (scars of the lining that surrounds the lungs)
• mesotheliomas of pleura and peritoneum, and
• cancers of the
• lung
• bronchus
• gastrointestinal tract
• larynx
• pharynx, and
• urogenital system, except the prostate.

Note: The biological actions of the various fibers differ in some respects, in that

• chrysotile products
• have their initial effects on the small airways of the lung
• cause asbestosis more slowly, and
• result in lung cancer more often, and
• crocidolite and amosite
• have more initial effects on the small blood vessels of the lung, alveolar walls, and pleura, and
• result more often in mesothelioma.

VIII.iii.7.A.2.c. Prevalence of Specific Diseases Resulting From Exposure to Asbestos

Specific diseases that may result from exposure to asbestos include

• lung cancer that
• originates in the lung parenchyma rather than the bronchi, and
• eventually develops in about 50 percent of persons with asbestosis
• gastrointestinal cancer that develops in 10 percent of persons with asbestosis
• urogenital cancer that develops in 10 percent of persons with asbestosis, and
• mesothelioma that develops in 17 percent of persons with asbestosis.

Important:

• All persons with significant asbestosis develop cor pulmonale (enlargement of the right ventricle of the heart) and heart disease secondary to disease of the lung or its blood vessels. Those persons who do not die from cancer often die from heart failure secondary to cor pulmonale.
• Disease-causing exposure to asbestos may be
• brief, and/or
• indirect.

Notes:

• Current smokers who have been exposed to asbestos face an increased risk of developing bronchial cancer.
• Mesotheliomas are not associated with cigarette smoking.

VIII.iii.7.A.2.d. Latent Period for Development of Disease Due to Exposure to Asbestos

Many people with asbestos-related diseases have only recently come to medical attention because the latent period for development of disease due to exposure to asbestos ranges from 10 to 45 or more years between first exposure and development of disease.

Note: The exposure may have been direct or indirect; the extent and duration of exposure is not a factor.

VIII.iii.7.A.2.e. Diagnostic Indicators of Asbestosis

A clinical diagnosis of asbestosis requires a history of exposure and radiographic evidence of parenchymal lung disease. Diagnostic indicators include

• dyspnea on exertion
• end-respiratory rales over the lower lobes
• compensatory emphysema
• clubbing of the fingers at late stages, and
• pulmonary function impairment and cor pulmonale that can be demonstrated by instrumental methods.