Exclusive | Nearly 10K lives lost to 9/11-related illness including 5,892 from cancer in 25 years since attacks
A staggering 5,892 first responders and people who lived and worked near Ground Zero have died from cancer caused by the toxic air in the 25 years since 9/11 — more than double the 2,753 people killed in the terror attacks, new data reveal.Cancer cases continue to explode, with 57,044 cases now documented, and officials warning the true tally could be even more grim.Overall, a shocking 9,677 first responders and survivors have died of illnesses tied to 9/11, according to September 11 Victim Compensation Fund data as of July 31.No agency publicly specifies the 9/11-related illnesses still killing people, other than cancer.
Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common cancer suffered by responders and civilians exposed to Ground Zero toxins, with 18,380 cases.Next is prostate (13,170 cases), female breast (4,830), melanoma (3,860 cases) and lymphoma (2,560), according to Centers for Disease Control data as of June 30.The cancer numbers are far from average — the rates have soared among the group compared to the general population, according to data from the World Trade Center Health Program.Members of the program are 123 times more likely to have thyroid cancer, 119 times more likely to have melanoma and 98 times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than the general public, according to an analysis of the data.
Women are 100 times more likely to suffer from breast cancer than those in the general population.Breast cancer among men, which is rare, has also surged, lawyer Michael Barasch, 71, told The Post.“Only one and a half percent of all breast cancer [cases] are male,” said Barasch, whose firm is litigating 50,000 cases involving 9/11 illnesses. “We should see about five men with male breast cancer – my law firm alone represents 100.”Barasch’s firm “loses two clients to cancer every day” but gains another dozen who either have cancer or are family members of those who have died of illnesses related to 911.Barasch’s office at 1...