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Mesothelioma from the World Trade Center

The threat of mesothelioma cancer, a disease caused by the exposure to microscopic asbestos fibers, could linger almost indefinitely for the hundreds of thousands who were close to the fall of the World Trade Center on 9/11. That is largely because of two primary factors: the amount of asbestos released into their air at once and the fact that the disease takes so long to manifest symptoms.

There were an estimated 400 tons of asbestos originally used in the construction of the Twin Towers, both of which were destroyed in the airplane attacks that initially killed more than 2,700 people on Sept 11, 2001. Asbestos was major part of the toxic dust cloud that hung over the site for months and drifted throughout the city. While the immediate health risks were obvious and emerged quickly, the long-range health implications could be equally daunting.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused exclusively by the inhalation of deadly asbestos fibers, which rained down on the city a decade ago and drifted everywhere throughout the lengthy cleanup process. To understand more about disasters like the World Trade Center collapse and their relationship between asbestos and mesothelioma, get a free copy of the Mesothelioma Center's informational packet. The packet outlines symptoms, causes plus doctors who specialize in treating asbestos related diseases. Fill out this form to get your free packet mailed to you.

Waiting for Mesothelioma Cases to Arise

It typically takes 20 to 50 years after the exposure to asbestos before symptoms of mesothelioma will appear, although some first-responders to the 9/11 attacks are already reporting symptoms of what is believed to be mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma, the most common type, slowly develops in the lining of the lungs. There is no cure for this cancer.

"We'd be the most worried about lung cancer and mesothelioma," said Philip Landrigan, dean of Global Health at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, during a 2010 interview when asked about future health-care concerns from 9/11.

There were close to 70,000 rescue workers and volunteers who worked for months in the debris that contained a myriad of toxic compounds. There also were hundreds of thousands of people living and working nearby. All had some degree of exposure to the microscopic fibers.

In the decade since the attacks, health officials have seen thousands of serious respiratory health problems. The 9/11 Health Now organization believes that more than 800 WTC workers have died from various causes, and an estimated 70 percent of the First Responders have declared illnesses. Approximately 40,000 have enrolled in medical monitoring.

Although the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health officially has yet to link directly any cancers to the World Trade Center site, it might be only a matter of time before it does. Research already has linked a wide variety of sinus and lung diseases to 9/11, and many New York residents who lived through the attacks say they are already dealing with health issues.

Tracking Cancer Cases Related to World Trade Center

Congress recently approved the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Fund - worth $2.8 billion - to further help citizens with health issues related to the World Trade Center collapse. Many of those citizens, though, were irate that cancer was not among the illnesses that it will help.

"As new research and findings are released, we will continue to do periodic reviews of cancer for the World Trade Center Health Program," said John Howard, M.D. and NIOSH administrator, as part of his department's first review in July of 2011. A second review is expected to include cancer - and mesothelioma specifically -; early in 2012.

"We've . . . set up a very robust system for tracking cancer cases as they occur in the population of responders," Landrigan said. "We know they were exposed to carcinogens - asbestos, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a whole slew of toxic organic compounds. We just don't know yet what may be the consequences for their health of these exposures."

First World Trade Center Responders and Mesothelioma

According to one study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, completed in 2008, the majority of first responders were left with permanent and abnormal lung function, proof of the long-term effects.

Among the workers who have died since 9/11 was 41-year-old Deborah Reeve, a paramedic and first responder who worked nearby at the morgue for months during the cleanup period. She was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2004 and died in 2006. She was honored in 2008 by the New York City Fire Department.

The Zadroga Compensation Fund was named after a police detective who died five years after 9/11 from lung problems that an autopsy showed was caused by a smoke-filled mixture of chemicals and fibers at Ground Zero.

There are hundreds of others who have suffered a similar fate, although the worst may be yet to come as the long latency factor with mesothelioma comes into play.

"We're certainly watching, waiting," Landrigan said. "We're just keeping our eyes open."

To understand what it means to survive mesothelioma, get a copy of one of the Mesothelioma Center's most popular books: Surviving Mesothelioma: Making Your Own Miracle. Written by mesothelioma survivor Judy Glezinski, the book discusses the various small and large battles she waged to defeat this rare cancer. Fill out this form on this page to order your free copy of Glezinski's book.

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