ASBESTOS TESTING
Veterans Services at the VA Health Administration Center in Denver

Contact information for veterans to test for asbestos exposure: VA Health Administration Center, 3773 Cherry Creek North Drive, Denver, CO 80209. Phone: (303) 331-7500.

Read on to find out about who may be at risk for asbestos exposure. At first glance, there are some questions one should ask to figure out if asbestos is a personal health threat. These topics include: 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? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you may wish to discuss this with your health-care provider.

In general, there is a group of diseases that have been linked to 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 tangible signs of asbestos exposure can appear up to 25 years after primary exposure. Annual or even semi-annual asbestos detection tests are recommended.

If you need more information from your doctor, don't be afraid to ask.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 is a proponent of the idea that all citizens who have participated in the U.S. Armed orces should receive the benefits they deserve. This includes compensation for life-threatening diseases such as mesothelioma.

If you or someone you love has developed mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos, we want to help. It's never too late for a free case evaluation. The form below begins the process.

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