9/11 survivors now have more cancer cases than first responders 25 years after attacks
25 years on from the devastating 9/11 attacks, the number of victims with cancer has skyrocketed, statistics show.
The collapse of the towers, which happened in September 2001, created dust clouds which left city blocks covered with debris, ash, and harmful particles.
As per the CDC, it was estimated that 400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants, in the weeks, and months, following the attacks. Responders, and survivors, began reporting illnesses soon after.
Now figures from the World Trade Center Health Program show that the number of survivors with cancer, or those who worked or went to school near the Twin Towers, has exceeded the cases of emergency responders, as per The New York Post.
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In 2005, just four years after the attack, 694 cancer cases were reported. Now, twenty years on from that, 28,913 cases are accounted for by survivors, which is an increase of over 4000%. First responders account for 28,131 of cases.
A number of these cancers are rare types of the illness, including an 'alarming number' of males being diagnosed with breast cancer who were exposed to the air, The New York Post revealed, as there are now almost 200 with the disease.
There are also over 80 cases of the thymus gland, a form of rare cancer which starts in a gland called your thymus, located behind the breast bone, as per Cleveland Clinic.
In 2021, 20 years after the attack, it was reported that more people had died from toxic exposures than during the attacks. 2,976 people were killed, as thousands more were injured.
However, it is not only cancer that has affected those involved in the horrific attacks. Respiratory and digestive issues are some of the most commonly reported, as well as chronic inflamed sinuses.
Along with physical effects, the mental health of a number of those involved has been greatly impacted.
As per NYC.gov, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most common mental health condition reported, with '20% of adults directly exposed to or injured in the disaster' having symptoms five to six years after the attacks, which is four times higher than the general population rate.
As well as this, immediately after the attacks, studies found that over 10% of New York residents Initial studies after 9/11 found that nearly 10% of New York City residents reported symptoms consistent with clinical depression.
Last year, FOX News journalist Eric Shawn revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer after reporting on the 9/11 attacks almost 25 years prior.
He had revealed that he had suffered from respiratory problems caused by inhaling the toxins after reporting from the scene of the disaster.
"I have two different diagnoses under the World Trade Center Health program," Shawn said, in which he was referring to the federal health scheme that provides treatment to those affected, with his diagnosis including cancer and bronchitis.
"If you were below Canal Street, basically, you were exposed to the dust. I was here reporting on it. That’s what happened with me,” he said.
“I mean, I’m very, very lucky. I think of all those who are suffering much greater… I’ve lost a few friends from this, of course."
Topics: Mental Health, History, New York, Cancer
Kiesha Dosanjh