Barasch & McGarry Recognizes Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer Awareness Month

February is Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer Awareness Month.

If you were there as a first responder or you worked, lived, or studied in Lower Manhattan on or after 9/11, you have a higher risk of developing many respiratory illnesses and 69 different types of cancer resulting from exposure to Ground Zero toxins, including gallbladder and bile duct cancer.

Within days of 9/11, the E.P.A. claimed the air near Ground Zero was safe to breathe.

But 9/11 didn’t end on 9/11.

Later medical research found the air at Ground Zero wasn’t safe – it contained cement dust and particles, asbestos, and chemicals called persistent organic pollutants, many of them known carcinogens.

According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 12,220 new cases of gallbladder and bile duct cancer (5,750 in men and 6,470 in women) will be diagnosed in the United States in 2023.

Barasch & McGarry represents nearly 100 9/11 first responders and survivors who have developed gallbladder or bile duct cancer.

Remember that if you are diagnosed with 9/11-related gallbladder or bile duct cancer, your family medical history and pre-existing conditions will not affect your eligibility for free health care or compensation. 

If you were there in Lower Manhattan, the government presumes your cancer was the result of exposure to Ground Zero toxins.

If you are diagnosed with gallbladder or bile duct cancer or any other 9/11-related cancers or respiratory illnesses, Barasch & McGarry can help you access resources through the free World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program and the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). 

The health program provides comprehensive medical care to 9/11 victims for their 9/11-related illnesses.

The victim fund offers tax-free awards for pain and suffering, lost earnings, and benefits for surviving spouses and family members.

For the WTC Health Program, the exposure zone consists of all of Manhattan below Houston Street and parts of Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO in Brooklyn.

For the 9/11 VCF, the exposure zone includes the area of Manhattan south of Canal Street and west of Clinton Street.

If you were exposed to Ground Zero toxins, you should know your health status. Don’t let a delayed diagnosis become a death sentence.

Barasch & McGarry, Lawyers for the 9/11 Community, represents more than 35,000 members of the 9/11 community.

Visit 911victims.com or call 212-385-8000 today.