As the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States approaches, the health consequences of the tragedy continue to grow increasingly severe.
The latest figures from the World Trade Center Health Program show a dramatic increase in cancer cases among people exposed to toxic conditions near Ground Zero.
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Certified cancer cases among Twin Towers survivors, Lower Manhattan residents and workers, as well as those who worked on or near the rubble, have reached 57,044 this year, up from 3,204 in 2015.
Over a 10-year period, this represents an increase of approximately 1,680%. The rise in diagnoses of rare forms of cancer is also causing particular concern.
“Unfortunately, we are losing about two clients a day, and we are seeing a new cancer certification every 50 minutes,” attorney Michael Barras told the New York Post. His firm represents thousands of participants in the World Trade Center Health Program.
For the first time, cancer cases among people who lived, worked or attended school near Ground Zero have surpassed the number of cases among first responders, including firefighters and police officers, who were exposed to the toxic environment for extended periods after the attacks.
Survivors now have 28,913 cancer cases, compared with 694 cases recorded in 2015, an increase of 4,066%. Meanwhile, rescuers and first responders account for 28,131 certified cases.
Increase in rare cancers
Among survivors and first responders, 82 cases of thymus cancer have been identified. The thymus is a small organ in the upper chest. These tumors account for less than 1% of all cancer cases.
A total of 591 cases of neuroendocrine cancer have also been recorded, a category of rare tumors that most commonly occur in the pancreas, intestines, lungs or adrenal glands. From March to June alone, the number of these cases among 9/11 survivors increased by 6%.
Another troubling issue is the number of men diagnosed with breast cancer after exposure to toxic air in the Ground Zero area. So far, 188 cases have been documented.
In addition, 163 cases of brain cancer have been reported. In the last quarter alone, 14 new cases were added, representing an increase of 9%.
67% of program members have a cancer diagnosis
Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that, as of June this year, 67% of the 145,275 current members of the World Trade Center Health Program had been certified with at least one of the 69 types of cancer linked to exposure to toxins from 9/11.
The increase in diagnoses is also partly explained by the aging of the responder and survivor population, most of whom have now reached their late 50s, 60s or early 70s.
More than 9,400 deaths linked to the consequences of 9/11
Another indication of the tragedy’s long-term impact is the number of people who have died from illnesses linked to exposure after the attacks.
So far, at least 9,425 people have died from illnesses associated with the consequences of 9/11. This is more than three times the 2,977 people who lost their lives on the day of the attacks, September 11, 2001.
“9/11 did not end on September 11. The cancer clock is ticking 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Barras said.
Among the thousands of people affected is 76-year-old Leslie Lane, who worked for Merrill Lynch at the World Financial Center, across from the World Trade Center, at the time of the attacks.
She was in the office when the planes hit the Twin Towers and recalls the dense cloud of dust she saw during the evacuation.
“You could taste the dust. You could taste the fuel, a greasy gasoline smell,” she told the New York Post.
Two days after the attacks, Lane moved to another office on Broadway, where she helped organize transportation for Merrill Lynch attorneys. In November, she returned to work downtown.
During a routine checkup in 2020, she was diagnosed with thymus cancer. The tumor was surgically removed at Memorial Sloan Kettering and has not returned since.
Lane is convinced that her illness is linked to exposure to toxic substances at Ground Zero.
“Thymus cancer is a very rare form of cancer. I do not drink alcohol. I do not smoke,” she said, recalling that for months after the attacks she continued to taste fuel in the air.
“We were repeatedly told that the air was safe. I do not believe it was,” she said.
