Veterans who served in the U. S. military suffered significant asbestos exposure between the 1930s and 1980s, and as a result, they represent a disproportionate ratio of the mesothelioma diagnoses in this country. But mesothelioma is not the only cancer caused by asbestos exposure, and American veterans aren’t the only ones who were exposed. In Canada, a Veterans Review and Appeal Board recently agreed that the spouse of a deceased Canadian military veteran with prostate cancer was deserving of full disability benefits.
Canadian Veteran Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer
The veteran whose widow filed the appeal served in Canada’s regular forces from 1955 until 1979 and was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. He died last year of the disease, which, like mesothelioma, can be caused by exposure to asbestos.
Before his death, the veteran filed for benefits, telling Veterans Affairs that he had served as a marine engineer aboard warships and was not provided any safety equipment while working in areas containing asbestos. He worked in the boiler rooms of naval vessels, and according to his widow, had said that “when they would go to bed on the ship, they would lift the blankets and see a layer of dust rise from the blanket.” Despite this, Veterans Affairs Canada denied his claim.
Veterans Affairs’ Decision Reversed
Following the earlier denial by Veterans Affairs Canada, the widow filed an appeal with the Veterans Review and Appeal Board, noting that he had otherwise been healthy, active, a non-smoker, and that there was no known history of cancer in his family. The panel considered all of the presented information, as well as statements that the veteran had made to Veterans Affairs: he’d described the frigates he’d worked on as having been in “deplorable” condition and said that “Everything around me at all times was asbestos. There were probably more carcinogens that I was exposed to [than] I’m aware of.”
The panel agreed that the veteran’s cancer had constituted a permanent disability and found that his condition was caused by military asbestos exposure. They granted her full disability benefits, writing that he was “presumed to have been exposed to asbestos on ships.” They also added that Health Canada had long recognized that inhaling asbestos could cause mesothelioma and other cancers and that the Canadian Cancer Society had made specific reference to the long latency period of asbestos-related cancers.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related cancer, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
