Study: 9/11 firefighters more likely to develop cancer

Firefighters who breathed dust from the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers are 19% more likely to develop cancer, according to a new study.

NEW YORK, NY (Catholic Online) - The study, published in the current issue of the Lancet medical journal says the 9/11 disaster exposed the firefighters to known carcinogens. Nearly 10,000 men who were serving as firefighters were evaluated. The majority of them were 9/11 responders, the others formed a control group. When the 9/11 group's results were compared to other firefighters and the general U.S. population, they had a substantially higher rates of cancer.

The results have surprised some researchers who expected to see cancer in these men, but not so quickly after exposure. Dr. David Prezant, chief medical officer for the New York City Fire Department said that he did not expect to see an increase in cancer cases for 10-15 years, however the cases have already started to appear. 

The leading theory as to why cancer appears so rapidly in first-responders has to do with the dust they inhale while working. Much of the dust, especially that around ground zero, is contaminated with a wide variety of chemicals, some known to cause cancer. Among the chemicals found at the site were asbestos and benzene, both known carcinogens. 

The study is important because responders have asked that cancer be covered in the James Zardroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which Congress passed in 2010. Presently, the bill does not provide coverage for cancer, although it was designed to provide services and compensation for responders who may have been exposed to toxins while working at the WTC site. It is also in contrast to what the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found, which is that there was no connection between WTC exposure and cancer. 

The study will give firefighters and other responders more evidence to contradict that claim and to hopefully get the coverage they deserve in the aftermath of this profound national tragedy.  

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