ASBESTOS TESTING
Health care services for military veterans at the Montana Health Care System

Contact information for military veterans to test for exposure to asbestos: VA Montana Health Care System, 1892 Williams Street, Fort Harrison, MT 59636. Phone: (406) 442-6410.

Tests for asbestos exposure should be administered to people who fit the description below. At first glance, there are some questions one should ask to figure out if exposure to asbestos is an issue. These are: Do you think you have had prolonged exposure to asbestos? Are you an immediate family member of someone who has worked in asbestos-related industries? Have you worked somewhere where asbestos insulation was used? Is it possible your exposure to asbestos was in the form of a "burst exposure" (a very heavy concentration) to asbestos for short periods of time? Was yes a response to any of these? If so, you may wish to discuss this with your health-care provider.

Four specific diseases are associated with asbestos exposure: Mesothelioma (a cancer of the thin membranes lining the thoracic and abdominal cavities and surrounding internal organs), asbestosis (a serious, chronic, non cancerous fibrous hardening and scarring of the lungs), lung cancer, and pleural plaque and thickening (scarring of the lining of the lung). The warning signs of asbestos-related diseases are coughing, coughing blood, shortness of breath, chest pain and weight loss. Unfortunately, the detectable symptoms of contact with asbestos can appear up to 25 years after primary exposure. Annual or even semi-annual asbestos detection tests are recommended.

Don't be afraid to question your doctor about your health.It is vital that the other testing is an x-ray (side and front view of your chest.) Further tests may include a pulmonary function test, blood work, a CT scan and/or biopsy. Doctors sometimes speak a language unintelligible to the layman. Weitz & Luxenberg believes that all men and women who have participated in the U.S. Armed orces should receive the services they deserve. This includes compensation for life-threatening diseases such as mesothelioma.

If you or someone you love has developed lung cancer after having contact with asbestos, let us help. It's never too late for a free case evaluation. The form below begins the process.

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