9/11 Related Cancer Diagnoses Continue to Increase
As the nation remembers and honors the 2,977 individuals who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, researchers have noticed a concerning increase in cancer diagnoses in those who were at or near ground zero following the attack.
The City of New York estimates that over 91,000 individuals assisted in the clean-up and rescue efforts following the attacks, and the CDC believes that “approximately 400,000 persons were exposed to toxic contaminants and other factors that increased their risk for certain physical and mental health conditions.”
Dr. Noa Biran, an Associate Professor of Medicine at John Theurer Cancer Center, told NBC News, “We know that people who are exposed to certain environmental toxins such as jet fuel and other chemicals have a higher risk of mutation, and that is what leads to the development of specific cancers. There are certain cancers we know are associated with [toxin exposure] and those cancers are lung cancer and bone marrow cancer called multiple myeloma.”
Dr. Brian added, “Not only first responders, but people who are in the vicinity of ground zero months — or even more than months after the event — are at much higher risk for these types of cancers.”
A meta-analysis of World Trade Center first responders from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) identified a 19 percent higher risk of prostate cancer and an 81 percent increased risk of thyroid cancer. The American Association for Cancer Research also reports, “A large analysis published in JNCI Cancer Spectrum in 2020 found that WTC responders were 41 percent more likely to develop leukemia than other individuals in their geographic area.”
Thousands of first responders and individuals who were present for the attack continue to suffer from not only the physical ramifications but also mental health difficulties as a result of the traumatic incident. Many brave individuals sacrificed their lives to save others on September 11, 2001, and many others are still sacrificing 22 years later.
“The best way to honor those who died and the soldiers who lost their lives in the wars that followed,” Turning Point USA CEO and Founder Charlie Kirk said, “is to never forget the America we had before that terrible day, and to fight to get it back.”
