National Security

Fifteen Years Later 9/11 Is Still Killing Us

Published

8 years ago

August 16, 2016

The fifteen year anniversary of September 11th is bringing more pain to the survivors of the attack.
5,400 survivors have been diagnosed with cancer.
The World Trade Center Health Program claims that roughly 1,525 people with cancer enroll into the program each year.
There are 75,000 people enrolled in the program to date.

We are a mere month away from the fifteen year anniversary of September 11th. Can you believe it? Fifteen years ago we suffered a tragic hit to our country. Thousands of loved ones, including police officers, pilots, firefighters, wives, husbands, daughters, and sons, were lost. It may have been fifteen years ago, but our country has not forgotten and the effects of that tragic day have not disappeared.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's World Trade Centers Health Program, there have been more than 5,400 people who have been diagnosed with cancer that survived the attacks. In January 2014 only 1,822 people had been enrolled into the program with cancer. That number has now tripled in the last two years.

The program itself provides healthcare, medical monitoring and treatment to people who were directly affected by the September 11th attacks. Reports have claimed that around 1,525 people enroll with cancer each year. However, they fear there are even more people diagnosed with cancer who haven't enrolled in the program.

Of the 5,400 people diagnosed in the program 4,692 of them are first responders, emergency responders, recovery and cleanup workers, and volunteers. They all helped in the aftermath of either the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, or the crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The remaining 749 people were survivors who either lived, worked, or attended school near the World Trade Center.

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Almost half of the 5,400 people diagnosed with cancer are ages 55 – 64.

Around 6,378 separate cancers have been diagnosed in the survivors, several of which have been diagnosed with more than one kind. The cancer is believed to have been the result of exposure to carcinogens and pollutants after the attack.

Christy Spring, a public affairs specialist for the CDC's National Institue for Occupational Safety and Health, said, “It's possible that the person had already been diagnosed and wanted to get treatment through the program. Other members may have enrolled to get compensation through [the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund], and there are some new enrollees who are potentially new cancer cases.”

It is reported that nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks on September 11th, however, tens of thousands have been affected by health issues from the attack.

75,000 people are enrolled in the World Trade Center Health program. Not including the people that are diagnosed with cancer in the program, 12,000 have been diagnosed with mental health issues. More than 32,000 have been diagnosed with aero-digestive issues (asthma, chronic cough, gastroesophageal reflux disorder or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).

An official report is suspected to be published in September by the World Trade Center Health Program. Then we will know the full extent of the health problems caused by the attacks on September 111th.