Bladder Cancer

Bladder Cancer Linked to 9/11 Toxins

The collapse of the World Trade Center’s twin towers and several adjacent buildings released an unknown number of contaminants and carcinogens into the air. Materials and compounds never intended to burn were incinerated and reduced to fumes, smoke, vapors, particles, and ash. Researchers who studied the toxins released into the air on 9/11 have identified more than 70 different deadly carcinogens, many of which survivors and responders breathed in, and that lingered for eight months during clean-up and removal efforts.

As workers were encouraged to return to Lower Manhattan in the weeks and months after 9/11, most were unaware of the dangers that lingered. Those toxins have been linked to 69 different cancers among survivors and responders, including bladder cancer.

Bladder Cancer and 9/11 Survivors, Responders

At first blush, survivors and responders might not link bladder cancer with their exposure to the harmful fumes and contaminants on 9/11 and after. However, two prevalent causes of bladder cancers include smoking/smoke inhalation, and exposure to certain chemicals. Chemicals linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer include arsenic and chemicals used to manufacture dyes, leather, rubber, textiles, and paint products. These and many others were part of a toxic mix of chemicals released through and in fires, fumes, smoke and ash. As the body processes inhaled smoke and fumes, dangerous chemicals can damage the bladder before being excreted through urine, increasing the risk of bladder cancer.

Symptoms of bladder cancer include:

• Blood in the urine (hematuria) – blood could appear dark red, cola-colored, spotty and intermittent, or not visibly present but detectable by urine sample
• Difficulty urinating
• Decreased force of the urine stream
• Burning or painful urination
• Increased frequency to urinate
• Lower back pain

Because it can take months, years, or even decades for cancer to grow, it is important for 9/11 survivors and responders to be aware that a diagnosis years later can be a result of their exposure, and they have the right to seek full and fair compensation.

I am grateful for the VCF award payment I received for the WTC-related illnesses. I learned about the great work you were doing for victims of 9/11 through a friend of mine who I hadn’t seen for a while. I met him by chance in the waiting room at Memorial Sloan Kettering as we were both undergoing treatment under the care of the same physician. I will highly recommend your law firm. Keep up the exceptional work in aiding others affected by 9/11.

Marino C.
Survivor, worker in the 9/11 exposure zone

Medical & Financial Benefits for Bladder Cancer Patients

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 was approved legislation that established an initial list of conditions covered by the two 9/11 benefit programs the act created. These programs are The World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), which provides free nationwide medical care, and the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) which disburses monetary compensation to those with conditions the WTC Health Program certifies. To date 69 cancers including bladder cancer are part of the list of conditions, some of which have been added years later when medical evidence became undeniable. 

In 2019, after dozens of trips down to Washington, D.C. to lobby Congress, our firm and many other 9/11 advocates aided in the full funding and permanent extension of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. Passage of the Never Forget the Heroes Act essentially ensures funds are available to compensate all who are currently sick or get sick in the future.

Deadline Extended to Register for Compensation

Deadlines to register VCF claims are approaching. If you or anyone you know had cancer or lost a family member as a result on 9/11, reach out to us to register for compensation quickly.

If you were exposed to the toxic air on 9/11 or in the eight months that followed but have not had your medical condition linked to 9/11, you also still have time to apply for significant compensation. The deadline to apply to the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) is two years from the date that your cancer has been certified by the WTC Health Program. The two-year period to register doesn’t start on the day of diagnosis. Rather, it starts only when a victim is made aware their condition was linked to exposure to the WTC toxins.

For those who died from their WTC-linked condition, the two-year period for their family to register starts on the day of the death of the WTC victim.

Many people have tried to complete the VCF application on their own, only to learn that it requires answers to hundreds of questions and many documents to download. It would be our pleasure to help you complete the process to ensure that you receive the compensation to which you are entitled. Please contact us for a free consultation.