Nearly 49,000 Sept. 11 Responders and Survivors Now Diagnosed with Cancer

According to the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program, the number of first responders and others diagnosed with 9/11-linked cancers has increased to 48,579 — a 143% increase in five years. 

The Details: The report shows skin, prostate, and breast cancers among the most common, along with melanoma, lymphoma, leukemia, and cancers of the thyroid, kidney, lung, and bladder. The diseases are believed to result from toxic exposures at Ground Zero and the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island after the attacks. According to the New York Post (Lean Right bias), part of the rise in Ground Zero responders' cancer rates is also tied to their age, with many now in their late 50s and 60s. Doctors at the WTC Health Program have linked 69 different types of cancer to these exposures.

For Context: The WTC Health Program is a federally funded program that provides medical care and support for 9/11 first responders and survivors. The New York Post reported program enrollment has grown steadily since 2017, with more than 10,000 new members joining in 2024 alone. As of March 27, 2025, 8,215 program members had died, including 5,844 responders, with 3,767 deaths involving cancer. The total now exceeds the 2,977 people killed on Sep. 11, 2001.

How the Media Covered It: New York Post first covered the increase in 9/11-linked cancers. It quoted first responders with cancer who shared their experiences working at Ground Zero and Fresh Kills after the attacks. An opinion writer in New York Daily News (Left) recounted their firsthand experience witnessing the 9/11 attacks, and learning over time about the long-term health consequences, including a personal diagnosis of uterine cancer–now recognized as 9/11-related. It highlights how programs like the WTC Program and the Victim Compensation Fund are crucial for survivors but face funding crises.

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