Cancer diagnoses among people exposed to the toxic dust, smoke and debris from the Sept. 11 attacks have risen dramatically, with federal health data showing tens of thousands of survivors and responders now receiving cancer-related care.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the long-term health consequences of exposure to the toxic cloud surrounding the World Trade Center continue to emerge, with cancer cases rising sharply among people who lived, worked or spent time in Lower Manhattan.
About 27,300 survivors enrolled in the federal World Trade Center Health Program were receiving assistance for cancer as of 2026, roughly three times the 8,870 survivors receiving such care in June 2021, according to an analysis of program reports by The Washington Post.
The increase among survivors has occurred considerably faster than the corresponding rise among first responders.
Of approximately 54,000 survivors enrolled in the federal program as of June, about half were receiving cancer-related assistance. Five years earlier, roughly 35% of enrolled survivors were receiving such care.
Separate research from New York University has documented a similar pattern.
Researchers studying participants enrolled in the World Trade Center Environmental Health Center found that the number of people with certified cancers increased approximately 2.5-fold from 2019 through 2024.
“This is something that we are worried about,” said Alan Arslan, an associate professor of population health at NYU and one of the study’s authors. “We’re seeing more and more patients.”
Across both survivors and responders, the growth in cancer certifications has been substantial over the past decade.
World Trade Center Health Program records show certified cancers increasing from 3,204 in 2015 to more than 57,000 in 2026.
Researchers say several factors could be contributing to the increase, including the natural aging of the population exposed on and after Sept. 11, 2001.
Many survivors and responders are now in their late 50s, 60s and 70s, age groups in which cancer becomes increasingly common regardless of environmental exposure. The World Trade Center Health Program also continues accepting newly eligible members, meaning part of the rise reflects a larger population receiving monitoring and treatment.
At the same time, scientists continue examining whether exposure to the extraordinary mixture of chemicals, particles and carcinogens released during the collapse and cleanup of the World Trade Center contributed to cancers developing decades later.
When the Twin Towers collapsed, enormous quantities of pulverized construction material, smoke and other debris spread throughout Lower Manhattan. The resulting dust and fumes contained substances including asbestos and benzene, both associated with cancer risk, along with numerous other potentially harmful materials.
The contamination did not remain confined to the World Trade Center site.
Dust entered nearby streets, apartments, offices, businesses and other buildings, exposing not only firefighters, police officers and rescue personnel but also residents, workers, students, children and others who were present in the disaster area.
That broader group now forms the survivor population monitored through the World Trade Center Health Program.
Among survivors diagnosed with cancer, breast and prostate cancers are among the most frequently reported, broadly reflecting some of the most common cancer types found in the general population.
Researchers have also documented lung cancer, thyroid cancer, colorectal cancer, skin cancers and blood cancers among people enrolled in the program.
Determining how many of those illnesses were directly caused by World Trade Center exposure remains scientifically difficult.
The NYU researchers cautioned that their findings cannot demonstrate that exposure to dust or other contaminants caused individual cancers. Their study also cannot establish the overall cancer risk for everyone who was exposed during or after the attacks.
One limitation is the way participants enter the health program.
Enrollment is voluntary, meaning people seeking monitoring or treatment may differ from the larger population exposed to the disaster. As a result, cancer rates among program members cannot automatically be applied to everyone who lived, worked or spent time in the affected area.
Researchers nevertheless say the continued increase warrants close observation because many cancers have long latency periods and may not appear until decades after exposure to carcinogenic substances.
That possibility has made continued medical surveillance particularly important as the exposed population ages.
The World Trade Center Health Program is administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and provides medical monitoring and treatment to qualifying responders and survivors.
Responders include people involved in rescue, recovery, cleanup and related operations. Survivors can include people who lived or worked in the New York City disaster area, attended school or day care there, or were otherwise present during qualifying periods.
The program was established to address the wide range of physical and mental health conditions associated with the attacks and their aftermath, including respiratory disease and certain cancers.
As more members reach ages when cancer becomes increasingly common, distinguishing illnesses related to normal aging from those potentially influenced by World Trade Center exposure remains an important research challenge.
Scientists are continuing to examine disease patterns, exposure histories and the timing of diagnoses in an effort to better understand the long-term effects of the disaster.
The steep increase in cancer certifications does not by itself prove that exposure caused each case, but it demonstrates the growing medical burden among a population that continues to require monitoring a quarter-century after the attacks.
Experts are encouraging people who believe they were exposed to World Trade Center dust, smoke or debris to determine whether they qualify for the federal program, even if they are not currently experiencing symptoms.
For thousands of survivors and responders, the medical consequences of Sept. 11 did not end when the fires were extinguished or Lower Manhattan was cleared.
Twenty-five years later, with more than 57,000 cancer certifications recorded among World Trade Center Health Program members and the number of affected survivors climbing rapidly, researchers say the complete health legacy of the attacks may still be unfolding.
Original article
Comments