A 26-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department reportedly died last month from 9/11 multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow.

Diagnosed with 9/11 multiple myeloma in 2013, Jimmy Martinez was one of the first responders to the World Trade Center terrorist attack site on Sept. 11, 2001.

He also was one of the first responders in 1993 when the World Trade Center was hit by a truck bomb that detonated below the north tower.

Martinez, who died at age 58, was exposed to a multitude of carcinogens at high levels. According to a study published in the medical journal JAMA Oncology, Sept. 11 first responders were exposed to never-before-seen amounts of carcinogens and potential carcinogens, including:

• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (a group of 100-plus chemicals released by burning oil, gas, diesel fuel, jet fuel)
• Asbestos
• Dioxins (poisonous chemicals from burning fuels, wood, oil)
• Polychlorinated biphenyls (coolants formerly used in electrical systems)

In the 10 months following the terrorist attack, first responders suffered higher than average exposure to diesel particulates from the heavy machinery used during the clean-up efforts. Emissions from diesel fuel including cancer-causing agents, including benzene.

9/11 Multiple Myeloma Study

The study regarding 9/11 multiple myeloma and first-responding firefighters found that this particular group of people are at a higher risk of developing monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a condition that could lead to the development of multiple myeloma.

One of the authors of the study explained the significance of their findings in a press release issued by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

“With our 2011 studyin The Lancet, we were the first to show that first responders were more likely to get many different types of cancer,” said senior co-author David J. Prezant, M.D., a professor of medicine at Einstein, a pulmonary disease specialist at Montefiore and chief medical officer of the FDNY. “We carried out this new study to do more than just treat cancer. We wanted to find early, predictive signs of cancer that would allow us to screen people and monitor those found to be at risk. By detecting MGUS, which predicts the development of multiple myeloma, we are able to do that.”

Even though not every patient with MGUS will develop multiple myeloma, authors of the recent research recommend 9/11 first responders be screened for both ailments.

The study indicates a higher incidence of MGUS among first responders, who are developing the condition at a younger age than average. Because of the increased incidence of MGUS, researchers say the firefighters could face an increased risk of early-onset 9/11 multiple myeloma, too.

Multiple myeloma is one of more than 70 different cancers associated with toxins released at the World Trade Center site.

If you or a loved one has developed 9/11 multiple myeloma or any other eligible cancer, you could be eligible for a portion of the Victim Compensation Fund, which provides financial assistance for 9/11 victims and their families.

You also could be eligible for free medical care through the World Trade Center Health Program.

Speak with an experienced attorney to find out your eligibility in these federally funded programs.