A recent study reportedly looked into the link between exposure to 9/11 rubble and an increased risk of cancer.

Cancer Study Links 9/11 Illnesses with Exposure to Twin Towers Rubble

A recent study published in the journal JNCI Cancer Spectrum provides more information on the link between 9/11 illnesses and exposure to rubble and debris at the site of the attacks. While past studies have already linked exposure to toxic dust and debris released in the attacks with a heightened risk of cancer, the new study provides additional details after a multi-year research study.

Nearly 29,000 people were included in the study, which pulled information from cancer registries in New York and surrounding states, along with the WTC Health Program. According to the study, the cancer risk for people exposed to toxins and rubble at the site of the Twin Towers was elevated. The study tracked the health of these people up through 2013.

For every 100 expected cases of cancer, 109 people included in the study were diagnosed with cancer. The most frequently diagnosed 9/11 related cancers included prostate cancer, thyroid cancer, and leukemia. For leukemia, the risk was 41 percent higher than that of the general public.

“There are lots of different things that were in that dust cloud, many of which are known to be harmful,” said study co-author Dr. Henry Sacks, who serves as a professor of environmental health and public health with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Indeed, the risks found in this study are “not surprising at all,” said Dr. Leonidas Platanias, director of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Chicago’s Northwestern University.

“Some cancers take longer to develop, so we may see even more in the future, as time goes by,” said Platanias.

Victims of 9/11 Illnesses and Cancer May Qualify for Compensation

City workers, police officers, and firefighters who worked in the vicinity of Ground Zero in the weeks and months following the attacks may all have suffered side effects due to breathing in dust and toxins. According to some estimates, more people will die due to exposure to 9/11 related toxins than died in the actual attacks.

During the attacks and immediately afterward, hazardous particles were released into the air. These airborne toxins include aluminum, asbestos, glass, burned jet fuel, and other toxic substances. Inhalation or ingestion of these particles may have lead victims to develop cancers and other illnesses. Over one million people may have been exposed to carcinogens and other toxins from the debris.

Victims who were diagnosed with 9/11 illnesses and cancers due to exposure to rubble may be able to apply for compensation through the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund. This fund was extended in 2019, and provides financial compensation for qualifying victims. Prior to the fund’s extension, settlement payouts to victims were being slashed to a fraction of their original value. After the fund was extended in 2019, over $10 billion was reportedly allotted to cover claims over the next ten years, with additional billions slated to be paid out until 2090.

Many types of people who were in the vicinity of Ground Zero following the attacks may qualify to apply for settlements through the fund. First responders, police officers, firefighters, city workers, volunteers, students, and residents may all qualify if they have been diagnosed with one of more than 70 types of cancer, including prostate cancer, lung cancer, bone cancer, blood cancer, and brain cancer.

Settlements from the fund may provide financial compensation for lifelong medical expenses and care. In cases of wrongful death, the families of victims may also be eligible to receive a settlement.