Lung Cancer

9/11 Dust and Toxins Linked to Lung Cancer

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 lung cancer.

Lung Cancer Impacts 9/11 Survivors, Responders

Smoking and smoking inhalation are leading risk factors for developing lung cancer, along with radon gas, asbestos, and carcinogens such as chromium, nickel, and arsenic – all commonly found in workplace materials and environments. The dust cloud at ground zero contained a toxic mix of these and other carcinogens. 

A NYC Fire Department longitudinal study over 13 years revealed that “some firefighters’ lungs aged the equivalent of 10-12 years in the first weeks and months following the attack from the dust they breathed.” Further, people with intense early exposure experienced a 10 percent reduction in lung function and reduction was sustained for more than a decade. To date, survivors and responders enrolled in the WTC Health Program who have lung cancer approaches 1,300. 

Symptoms of lung cancer

Non-smokers and smokers alike should be aware of signs and symptoms of lung cancer, which include:

• Persistent cough 
• Shortness of breath 
• Coughing up blood
• Fluid in the chest (pleural effusion) 
• Pain in chest or bones  
• Hoarseness
• Headaches 
• Unexplained weight loss

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.

When I lost my husband due to 9/11 cancer, Mr. Barasch and his team helped me get his pension and my health insurance back, which was vital to my family. They have always been in my corner from the first day we spoke. Thank you for all the countless hours and hard work you put in for us.

E.H.M.
Survivor, wife of a 9/11 cancer victim

Medical & Financial Benefits for Lung 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 lung 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.