Hansen & Rosasco, LLP

Over 500,000 individuals were exposed to toxic air in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11th, 2001. Many have gotten sick and have received lifetime healthcare through the World Trade Center Health Program and also compensation from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). The majority of those who were exposed to the 9/11 dust – by living, working, or going to school in lower Manhattan on 9/11 and the many months afterward – are, thankfully, not sick. 

One of the many concerning effects of the 9/11 terrorist attacks is its impact on the gastrointestinal system. Inhaling or ingesting the substances found in the 9/11 dust can cause a variety of gastrointestinal issues ranging from cancer of the digestive system (including colon and rectum), mouth, tongue, esophageal, and stomach cancer to serious non-cancer conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), Barrett’s esophagus and similar conditions. 

The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) takes at least 17 months to decide a claim and make an award. This 17-month wait for a decision is after a fully completed claim is submitted, including the certification letter issued by the World Trade Center Health Program. In addition, if a claim is not fully submitted correctly, the VCF will likely either simply deny the claim and award no compensation or there will be lengthy delays (in some cases, many years) before a claim is decided. 

In the 20-plus years since 9/11, more than 5,000 families have lost a loved one to a 9/11 cancer or other illness. Those unfortunate souls who lost their lives include people who breathed the dust and fumes that stayed in lower Manhattan from 9/11 until mid-2002. The majority of those who have passed since 9/11 are people who, not knowing the dangers of the toxic air, went back to work, live, or school in lower Manhattan south of Canal Street. 

The WTC Health Program and the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund are close to adding uterine cancer (including endometrial cancer) as a 9/11 presumed condition.

Downtown workers are, by far, the largest group of people sickened by the toxic 9/11 fallout. It is estimated that at least 300,000 downtown workers were exposed to the same toxic dust and fumes as the first responders. Since 911, at least 15 employees/vendors at Century 21 have been certified with 9/11-related medical conditions, and at least two have died. Twenty-one shoppers at the department store on 9/11 also received diagnoses for 9/11-related illnesses, as have 19 first responders who conducted recovery operations in the building. Did you know that the effects of 9/11 also impact retail workers?

Learn more about ​New Multi-Cancer Screening Tool to Help Detect Cancer Earlier. People in the 9/11 community were exposed to several cancer-causing substances through the toxic dust at Ground Zero. For these patients, a new multi-cancer early detection cancer screening test called Galleri shows promise in finding more types of cancers in earlier stages of development than ever before. Finding and treating cancers early has long been proven to give patients the best hope of recovery and survival.

This year, doctors will diagnose nearly 67,000 new endometrial (uterine) cancer cases – the fourth most common cancer among women. However, it has been the only reproductive cancer not on theWorld Trade Center Health Program’s (WTCHP) list of covered 9/11-related conditions. A recent unanimous decision by the WTCHP’s Scientific Advisory Committee signaled that endometrial cancer would finally gain Program coverage for lifetime treatment and also 9/11 victim compensation.