Cancers

Medical and Financial Assistance For 9/11 Cancer Victims

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks claimed nearly 3,000 lives in a single day. But, a hidden killer was present on that day too and lingered in the air for months around the tragedy sites at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Shanksville, PA. Researchers who studied the toxins released into the air on 9/11 have identified over 70 different deadly carcinogens.

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 which was reauthorized in 2016 and then permanently funded and extended in 2019, established the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) and the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). The WTCHP provides free nationwide medical care to 9/11 cancer victims and the VCF provides monetary benefits to 9/11 cancer victims. While eligibility for these programs varies based on the category of your claim, establishing a link between your cancer and your exposure on 9/11 or in the 8 months that followed is the key to receiving benefits from these programs.

Top 15 Most Common Certified 9/11 Cancers

The following are the top cancers observed in enrollees to the World Trade Center Health Program. The data shows cancer cases in the 9/11 responder and survivor populations. Data from September 2021.

68 Cancers Eligible for 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund

• Blood & Lymphoid Tissue

  • Hodgkin’s disease
  • Follicular (nodular) non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  • Diffuse non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  • Peripheral and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas
  • Other and unspecified types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  • Malignant immunoproliferative diseases
  • Multiple myeloma and malignant plasma cell neoplasms
  • Lymphoid leukemia
  • Myeloid leukemia
  • Monocytic leukemia
  • Other leukemias of specified cell type
  • Leukemia of unspecified cell type
  • Myeloid malignancies
  • Other and unspecified malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related

• Breast

  • Malignant neoplasm of breast

• Digestive System

  • Malignant neoplasm of the esophagus
  • Malignant neoplasm of the stomach
  • Malignant neoplasm of the colon
  • Malignant neoplasm of rectosigmoid junction
  • Malignant neoplasm of the rectum
  • Malignant neoplasm of other and ill-defined digestive organs
  • Malignant neoplasm of the liver and intrahepatic bile ducts
  • Malignant neoplasms of retroperitoneum and peritoneum

• Eye & Orbit

  • Malignant neoplasms of eye and adnexa

• Female Reproductive Organs

  • Malignant neoplasm of ovary

• Head & Neck

  • Malignant neoplasm of lip
  • Malignant neoplasm of base of tongue
  • Malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified parts of tongue
  • Malignant neoplasm of parotid gland
  • Malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified major salivary glands
  • Malignant neoplasm of floor of mouth
  • Malignant neoplasm of gum
  • Malignant neoplasm of palate
  • Malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified parts of mouth
  • Malignant neoplasm of tonsil
  • Malignant neoplasm of oropharynx
  • Malignant neoplasm of nasopharynx
  • Malignant neoplasm of piriform sinus
  • Malignant neoplasm of the hypopharynx
  • Malignant neoplasm of other and ill-defined conditions in the lip, oral cavity and pharynx
  • Malignant neoplasms of nasal cavity
  • Malignant neoplasm of accessory sinuses
  • Malignant neoplasm of the larynx

• Melanoma

  • Malignant melanoma of skin

• Mesothelioma

  • Pericardium
  • Peritoneum
  • Pleura

• Respiratory System

  • Malignant neoplasms of the trachea
  • Malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung
  • Malignant neoplasm of heart, mediastinum and pleura
  • Malignant neoplasm of other and ill-defined sites in the respiratory system and intrathoracic organs

• Skin (Non Melanoma)

  • Other malignant neoplasms of skin
  • Scrotum

• Soft Tissue

  • Malignant neoplasm of peripheral nerves and autonomic nervous system
  • Malignant neoplasm of other connective and soft tissue

• Thyroid

  • Malignant neoplasm of thyroid gland

• Urinary System

  • Prostate Cancer
  • Malignant neoplasm of bladder
  • Malignant neoplasm of the kidney except renal pelvis
  • Malignant neoplasm of renal pelvis
  • Malignant neoplasm of ureter
  • Malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified urinary organs

• Childhood Cancers

  Defined as “Any type of cancer diagnosed in a person less than 20 years of age.”

• Rare Cancers

  Defined as “any type of cancer that occurs in less than 15 cases per 100,000 persons per year in the United States.” Some examples of cancer that meet the “rare cancer” definition include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Malignant neoplasm of the testis
  • Neuroendocrine malignancies
  • Malignant neoplasm of the male breast
  • Malignant neoplasm of the gallbladder/biliary tract
  • Malignant neoplasm of the small intestine
  • Malignant neoplasm of the thymus
  • Malignant neoplasm of the central nervous system
  • Malignant neoplasm of the adrenal gland
  • Gastrointestinal stromal malignancies
  • Malignant neoplasm of the penis

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, reach out to us to register for compensation quickly.

If you were exposed to the toxic air on 9/11 or in the 8 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 or illness 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.

New York City Lawyers Representing 9/11 Cancer Victims

Barasch & McGarry is the most experienced law firm helping 9/11 victims suffering from cancer get the maximum amount of compensation through the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). We know the intricacies of these 9/11 programs and we’ll make sure you feel at ease every step of the way towards receiving the fair and full compensation you deserve.