Cancer cases among 9/11 survivors surge nearly 25 years later - report

Thousands of people were exposed to the massive toxic cloud and settling dust containing pulverized concrete, glass fibers, asbestos, and other pollutants in the days and weeks after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. In adult survivors and first responders, dozens of types of cancers and other health issues related to their exposure have been identified.

The number of 9/11 survivors receiving aid for cancer treatment has roughly tripled over the past five years, according to a Wednesday Washington Post analysis of data from the World Trade Center Health Program, a federal health care program that provides medical care for people affected by the attacks and suffering from related conditions.

According to the analysis, about 8,870 survivors were receiving aid for 9/11-related cancer treatment in 2011. By 2026, that number had risen to 27,300. The increase comes as cancer has become one of the most common health issues among survivors receiving care through the program: Of the roughly 54,000 survivors treated by the WTCHP in 2026, about half are receiving assistance for cancer-related expenses, up from 35% in 2021.

First responders and other New Yorkers who were near the World Trade Center that day have also reported a range of other conditions, including respiratory illnesses, mental health impacts, and dementia, according to the Washington Post report.

Acknowledging the city's responsibility to help and care for those who fell ill after 9/11, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani noted in a recent interview that the 2027 city budget has allocated tens of millions of dollars to create an online portal that lets New Yorkers search city documents and see what the local government knew at the time.

"So many of these New Yorkers are ones who made the decision to run towards Ground Zero, and for that, they have suffered medically, and the city should be there for them," he said. 

Long term physical, mental health impacts of the September 11 attacks

After more than two decades, 9/11 firefighters still feel the effects of the attack on their physical and mental health, according to a FDNY World Trade Center Health Program report released on Tuesday.

According to the report, hundreds of FDNY members have died from 9/11-related illnesses in the years since the attack, causing the post-9/11 FDNY death toll to more than double the 343 members killed on the day of the attacks.

Notably, the Tuesday report also said that FDNY responders with cancer who are enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program, which provides medical benefits to those affected by the attack, were more likely to survive compared with comparable New York State Cancer patients. This, the report notes, is likely due to the extra cancer screenings that WTCHP beneficiaries receive.

Additionally, mental health effects are still measurable after 25 years; six percent of World Trade Center-exposed FDNY rescue and recovery workers still meet the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder in 2026, according to the report. This is compared to the roughly three percent of the general population with PTSD. What is more, approximately 98% of WTC-exposed emergency responders knew at least one person who died at Ground Zero, a factor the report said could also affect mental health and contribute to the development of PTSD.

Children of 9/11 to finally get a major health study

When hijacked planes brought down the World Trade Center's twin towers on September 11, 2001, roughly 25,000 children were living or attending school nearby in lower Manhattan, and thousands more were in surrounding neighborhoods. Some were infants and toddlers, while others were still in the womb.

Very few of these children were enrolled in the government-funded follow-up health studies of WTC survivors. Those were mainly for first responders and other adults.

As a result, there was no means of tracking chronic illnesses, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases and reproductive health outcomes, that may only now be emerging as those children reach their 30s and early 40s, scientists say.

To address these gaps, Congress announced in 2022 that it would fund a study of these individuals to be conducted with US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention oversight.

Last month, the CDC said it will be seeking applications from researchers to set up the World Trade Center Youth Research Coordinating Center and identify and track a Youth Research Cohort.

The agency has specified that study participants will have been 21 years old or younger, or in utero, and living below 14th Street in Manhattan or anywhere in Brooklyn on and after 9/11.

A cohort of similarly aged but unexposed individuals will be recruited for comparison.

It is not clear how many participants the CDC hopes to recruit, but an agency spokesperson said it expects to spend up to $50 million in total program funding. The estimated start date for the project is July 1, 2027, the spokesperson said.

Members of the public can sign up online for updates and register to be notified when enrollment opens to those who are qualified.