Stomach Cancer

Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, begins in the cells lining the stomach, with adenocarcinoma accounting for most diagnoses. Both the National Cancer Institute and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry have identified a link between asbestos exposure and this cancer, based on research into workers with heavy occupational exposure. For veterans piecing together whether their Navy service connects to a stomach cancer diagnosis, Asbestos Ships can help sort through what that link means for a claim.

How Navy veterans encountered asbestos

Asbestos was used extensively aboard older Navy ships for its heat resistance and durability. The materials below were common sources of exposure throughout a ship.

• Pipe coverings, lagging, and cement
• Gaskets, valves, and adhesives
• Flooring and other heat-resistant materials
• Insulation in engine rooms and boiler rooms

Personnel did not need to work directly with asbestos to be exposed, since disturbed or damaged materials could release fibers into the air throughout a ship. The VA specifically identifies shipyard work and service aboard older vessels as circumstances where this kind of exposure could occur.

Who may have faced meaningful exposure

Certain groups of Navy veterans are more likely to have encountered asbestos during their service.

• Veterans who served on ships with keels laid before 1983
• Personnel who worked below deck, particularly before the early 1990s
• Sailors who removed damaged asbestos lagging in engine rooms
• Veterans who worked in Navy shipyards from the 1930s through the 1990s

Falling into one of these groups does not guarantee a stomach cancer diagnosis is connected to service, but it does make documenting that service history worthwhile.

Building an asbestos-related stomach cancer claim

The VA requires veterans to establish a direct connection between their military asbestos exposure and their diagnosis, since stomach cancer is not treated as an automatic or presumptive asbestos condition. A claim generally needs the following:

• Evidence of asbestos exposure during military service, based on occupation, duty station, or documented circumstances
• A diagnosed disease or disability related to that exposure
• Medical evidence connecting the diagnosis to the in-service exposure

The VA may also request its own medical examination to evaluate this connection before deciding a claim. Asbestos exposure by itself is not what gets compensated; the disease resulting from that exposure is.

Why the long latency period matters

Asbestos-related diseases frequently take decades to show symptoms after the original exposure. It may take 20 to 50 years for symptoms to appear, which means a veteran exposed during service in the 1960s or 1970s could go decades without a diagnosis after leaving the Navy.

This gap between exposure and diagnosis is part of why detailed service records matter so much in these claims. Without that documentation, it can be harder to connect a current diagnosis back to a specific period of service.

How the VA rates stomach cancer

Active stomach cancer falls under Diagnostic Code 7343, which covers malignant neoplasms of the digestive system and generally carries a 100 percent rating during treatment. This rating continues for six months after treatment ends, at which point the VA schedules a mandatory exam to reassess the condition.

If there is no recurrence or spread at that point, the VA shifts to rating the case based on any remaining residuals rather than keeping the 100 percent evaluation in place indefinitely. A diagnosis of cancer does not by itself guarantee a permanent 100 percent rating once treatment concludes.

VA compensation for stomach cancer

VA disability compensation depends on the assigned rating and the veteran's dependent status. For 2026, monthly rates for a veteran with no dependents include the amounts below.

• 10 percent rating: $180.42
• 30 percent rating: $552.47
• 50 percent rating: $1,132.90
• 70 percent rating: $1,808.45
• 100 percent rating: $3,938.58

Ratings of 30 percent or higher increase further when a veteran has dependents. A 100 percent rating pays $4,158.17 per month with a spouse and no other dependents, $4,085.43 with one child and no spouse, or $4,318.99 with a spouse and one child.

How Asbestos Ships can help

Connecting a stomach cancer diagnosis to decades-old Navy service can be a heavier lift than it sounds, especially without a presumptive condition to lean on. Asbestos Ships connects veterans with resources built to make that process more manageable.

• Referrals to VA-accredited representatives who handle asbestos-related claims without an upfront fee
• Helpful information on the type of service and medical records that typically support a claim
• Information on locating your VA regional office or nearest VA medical center
• Connections to legal resources if you are also considering compensation outside the VA system

Building a direct-connection claim takes more documentation than a presumptive one, but that doesn't mean the process has to be figured out alone. Our team can help you understand what evidence your case may need.

Reach out to Asbestos Ships today to see what support is available to you.