Asbestos

8,587 published decisions mention Asbestos. Most of them are deciding other claims at the same time, so the table below is narrower on purpose: it counts only the 6,996 individual issues where the claim itself was tied to this exposure. This is a non-presumptive agent, the medical link must be proven case by case, so these Board rulings are the roadmap.

What the Board has tied to Asbestos

Each row: a condition claimed as related to Asbestos, how many issues the Board ruled on, and the granted / denied / remanded split. Click a condition to see its code page, criteria, and the decisions.

What these numbers count: 8,587 decisions MENTION Asbestos; of the issues inside them, 6,996 were actually tied to this exposure, and 6,774 of those appear in the table. A further 127 conditions came up too few times to chart (fewer than 5 issues each, 222 issues in total) and are not listed, because a single case cannot show a pattern.

Condition	Issues	Granted	Denied	Rem.	Grant %
Asbestosis DC 6833	3257	782	2167	127	27%
Emphysema, pulmonary DC 6603	876	172	665	18	21%
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease DC 6604	487	104	359	19	22%
Neoplasms, malignant, any specified part of respiratory system exclusive of skin growths DC 6819	248	87	148	9	37%
Diffuse interstitial fibrosis (interstitial pneumonitis, fibrosing alveolitis) DC 6825	204	82	117	3	41%
Sleep Apnea Syndromes (Obstructive, Central, Mixed) DC 6847	196	41	134	18	23%
Asthma, bronchial DC 6602	187	29	139	15	17%
Malignant neoplasms of the genitourinary system DC 7528	146	42	94	5	31%
Malignant neoplasms of the digestive system, exclusive of skin growths DC 7343	120	37	77	4	32%
Bronchitis, chronic DC 6600	109	10	95	4	10%
Chronic pleural effusion or fibrosis DC 6845	93	43	45	4	49%
Arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease) DC 7005	87	12	65	10	16%
Hypertensive vascular disease (hypertension and isolated systolic hypertension) DC 7101	61	4	45	9	8%
Malignant skin neoplasms (other than malignant melanoma) DC 7818	59	12	42	2	22%
Diabetes mellitus DC 7913	53	4	41	6	9%
Peripheral arterial disease DC 7114	46	7	36	3	16%
Group XXI. Function: Respiration. Muscles of respiration: Thoracic muscle group DC 5321	35	2	30	0	6%
Sarcoidosis DC 6846	34	5	24	4	17%
Degenerative arthritis, other than post-traumatic DC 5003	28	2	21	0	9%
Pulmonary Vascular Disease DC 6817	25	12	12	1	50%
Pneumoconiosis (silicosis, anthracosis, etc.) DC 6832	21	3	16	2	16%
Dermatitis or eczema DC 7806	21	0	20	1	0%
Neoplasms, benign, any specified part of respiratory system DC 6820	20	5	12	2	29%
Bronchiectasis DC 6601	19	4	14	1	22%
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma DC 7715	17	3	13	0	19%

Read the Board decisions that mention Asbestos ↗

How these claims are won and lost

The single biggest factor in the Board record is a private medical opinion (a nexus letter) linking the condition to the exposure. Here is the grant rate with one vs with no medical opinion, from published decisions on Asbestos:

Asbestosis

No medical opinion

17%

granted (n=2059)

→

With a private / reasoned opinion

47%

granted (n=139)

+30 pts

Of denials where a reason was identified, the most common wall was proving a current diagnosis.

Emphysema, pulmonary

No medical opinion

18%

granted (n=181)

→

With a private / reasoned opinion

56%

granted (n=34)

+38 pts

Of denials where a reason was identified, the most common wall was the medical link (nexus), then proving the in-service exposure/event.

Neoplasms, malignant, any specified part of respiratory system exclusive of skin growths

No medical opinion

16%

granted (n=70)

→

With a private / reasoned opinion

68%

granted (n=22)

+52 pts

Of denials where a reason was identified, the most common wall was the medical link (nexus).

Malignant neoplasms of the genitourinary system

No medical opinion

14%

granted (n=28)

→

With a private / reasoned opinion

80%

granted (n=15)

+66 pts

Of denials where a reason was identified, the most common wall was the medical link (nexus), then proving the in-service exposure/event.

Percentages reflect the mix of published cases, not a promise for any one claim. The lesson the record repeats: prove the exposure, then get a reasoned medical opinion connecting it to the diagnosis.

What the science says about Asbestos

Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals once used heavily in insulation, gaskets, brake linings, shipboard and building materials. Inhaled fibers lodge in the lungs and the lining around them, and the body cannot clear them.

Health effects documented in the toxicology literature

Lungs (asbestosis): Scarring of lung tissue (fibrosis) causing shortness of breath and reduced lung function. The signature non-cancer asbestos disease.
Lung cancer: Asbestos is an established cause of lung cancer; risk multiplies sharply when combined with smoking.
Mesothelioma: Cancer of the lining of the lung or abdomen, caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure. Long latency, often 20 to 50 years.
Pleural disease: Plaques, thickening, and effusions on the lining of the lung; can appear decades after exposure.
Other cancers: Evidence also links asbestos to cancers of the larynx and ovary.

Cancer classification: IARC Group 1 (carcinogenic to humans). Also classified a known human carcinogen by the US HHS National Toxicology Program.

Latency: Long. Asbestos diseases commonly appear 15 to 50 years after first exposure, so a claim decades after service is medically expected.

ATSDR Toxic Substances Portal (search this substance) ↗ (public-domain, US ATSDR)

Common questions

Is Asbestos a presumptive exposure?

No. Unlike Agent Orange, burn pits, or Camp Lejeune, Asbestos carries no automatic (presumptive) service connection. You have to prove the medical link yourself, usually with a nexus opinion, which is exactly why how the Board has ruled on it matters.

Why do so many of these conditions show denials?

The granted / denied counts reflect the mix of cases where Asbestos comes up and how hard each link is to prove, not the merit of any one claim. A denial often means the file lacked a medical opinion tying the condition to the exposure, or proof of the exposure itself, not that the condition can never be connected.

How do I show I was exposed to Asbestos?

Service records, your military job (MOS), unit history, and buddy statements can establish the exposure; a medical opinion then connects it to the diagnosed condition. This page reports Board outcomes and is not legal or medical advice, a VSO representative can help with your specific case.

Related Tools and Guides

Board decisions naming Asbestos

Read the actual published decisions this page summarizes.

Nexus Letters

The medical opinion that links an exposure to a diagnosed condition.

Records Request Guide

Pull the service records that prove exposure and your MOS.

All Toxic Exposures

Every non-presumptive agent and the conditions the Board links to it.

Toxic Exposure Hub

Presumptive pathways: PACT Act, Agent Orange, burn pits, Camp Lejeune.

Find a VSO Rep

Free, accredited help proving the link and filing your claim.

← All toxic exposures

RateMyVSO. Educational aggregate of published Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions plus public-domain toxicology (ATSDR). Not affiliated with the VA. Not legal or medical advice. Whether any exposure caused any condition in a specific case is a medical and legal question, a VSO representative can help.