Are recovery workers and residents who inhaled World Trade Center toxins after September 11, 2001 at a greater risk of developing cancer? The findings of a new study from the FDNY seem to indicate the answer is yes. After monitoring almost 10,000 firefighters for seven years, the study found those who worked at the site had a 32% greater incidence of cancer than those who did not.

Despite the findings, the federal government says a conclusive link between the toxic dust and cancer cells has not yet been established. As a result, those with the disease are not covered under the new James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. Since cancers often take decades to develop, doctors say the study's seven-year period might be too brief to draw conclusions. What do you say?

Should people with cancer who were downtown after 9/11 receive medical benefits from the government? Should the Zadroga Act also include those with suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder? Are you or someone you know experiencing symptoms you believe are related to World Trade Center toxins? Do you feel elected officials are doing too little or too much for ailing New Yorkers?

Send your thoughts using the link above.

I was involved in 9/11 Luckily from a distance, helping people by phone, and I avoided rescue workers putting severed heads into the rolling postal carts, I only saw photos, and held men together who had to do that, I did quite a few hours working with the Red Cross, but I know many of the first responders who did not return and many men from the pile who now suffer. I also know of many of the little survivors, the cleaners, the tour guides people who worked in the Big Kitchen and the news stands, and honestly they need to be included in the Bill both for the Cancer, and the PTSD You can not understand why politicians said NO, had you been there. I understand all to well, the process the City of New York, and its bureaucratism treat all claimants, not just those from 9/11 - It is a successful system to win cases and exclude victims at all costs. Here however it is a sin.

Deborah - Astoria

The first responders should get coverage for themselves only. As long as the illnesses of one kind or another are attributed to this horrific day that they responded to. I believe that no matter what type of job in any capacity they should be entitled. The involvement of the politicians just infuriates me. They will do anything for a vote. They should treat us all as human beings. All I can say is that I do appreciate all of them and it is something that will stay with me just as much as Pearl Harbor. The whole scenario is just heart wrenching and I myself think of it every day. I'm so sorry for the ones that didn't make it on that horrific day and for the others that were and are so brave also.

GOD BLESS THEM AND THANK YOU TO ALL.

maxxiee
mp

The curious thing is they seem to be compiling a data base in order to preclude future law suits with no hint of renumeration. This venue and the Feds are liable due to the negligence of Rudy and Christy horsewoman Whitman who said it was safe to return sooner rather than later. Same wit cell phones perfectly safe they told us until Ted Kennedy was diagnosed and the neurosurgeons said NEVER HOLD IT NEXT TO YOUR HEAD.

JS
Flushing

I'm not a doctor and don't play one on TV. But after observing the actions of government for years and the lack of objectivity in its studies, I call for an independent analysis of the health status of these people's.

If something is found, the unions and private insurers should pay. I don't believe it is right to coerce other people to pay for your problems. The Zadroga bill is an indisputable case of robbing Peter to pay for Paul's healthcare.

Joe
Port Richmond

It is totally incomprehensible that first responders will not be able to be present at the 10th Anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Who does Mayor Bloomberg think he is? Where does he come off making such an unfair decision?All of the first responders who gave their toil and sweat at the World Trade Center in the hours,days,weeks and months after the attacks have every right to be able to attend as much as everyone else who will be there.Why are all of those politicians attending? Were they down at the site helping to find the dead and injured? Also,why can't any religious leaders be there to participate? The September 11th commemoration has become a political platform,which it should never be allowed to be.It is an insult to all of those people who died and to their families as well. We lost so many people on that fateful day,among them 343 firefighters,several dozen police and EMT workers,as well as all of those who died in the twin towers,the Pentagon,and Shanksville ,Pennsylvania.Politics and politicians have no place in this remembrance of September 11th. The politicians cannot even do their jobs in Washington D. C.

John
Fresh Meadows, NY

Of course cancer should be covered, and yes, any mental illness such as PTSD that resulted from 9/11 should be covered as well. This country has a problem with mental illness, they don't believe it really exists. People are considered slackers and weak if they claim that psychological problems keep them from working or if they need therapy. PTSD is real. Sometimes people can't cope with a trauma experience, especially one of the dimensions of 9/11.

I want to add that, with all due respect to first responders, firefighters and police, why isn't there more coverage about the 2,000 other people that died that day? Day after day, we keep hearing about those in uniform, and their sacrifices, which of course were tragic, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. I would like to hear about the civilians too.

meryl from manhattan

They were willing to risk their life for us!!! While all the research and guessing games go on give these people the benefit of the doubt! It disgusts me that people who stayed behind closed doors and DID NOT put themselves in harms way, and took no personal risk could sit there and smugly make decisions that have a MAJOR impact on the quality of what is left of a man/womans' life. We should be there for them as they were for the nation! These health risks/conditions exist not only for responders but for ALL who breathed in the "AIR" in lower MAnhattan and its surrounding areas. The West/South Village and SOHO for weeks looked like paper mache' was thrown over it by night. Our water towers got filled with whatever became airborn. The rich get richer and the rest struggle!

A VILLAGER

I strongly believe that PTSD and Cancer should be covered in the Zagroda 9/11 Health Bill. My husband is permanently disabled due to the horrific attack that took place on September 11, 2001. He has numerous chronic health issues along with chronic PTSD.

Joanne
Staten Island, NY

We spend trillions in bailing out banks and in a world-wide war on terror for 10 years, but we don't have enough for a few thousand survivors who risked it all to help their countrymen. It doesn't add up. At minimum these people should have access to all VA facilities, free of charge. They are civilian veterans in my opinion.

Frank, Sunset Park, Brooklyn

If we had single payer universal health care in this country these brave heros and all Americans wouldn't have to worry about getting medical care. Screw the insurance and pharmaceutical companies because they're screwing us!

Bobby G
East Village

My heart goes out to all the fdny nypd that risk thier lives on that dreadful day these people should be compensated i really believe that the cancer was linked to 9/11 day in and day out they were down there rescuing and its sad that this government doesn't want to help im pissed.

Nicole

Yes, cancer and psychological illness such as PTSD and depression should be
covered. Every boom and bang, even loud thunder I wonder if it's a bomb or
another attack. During the earthquake my colleages and I were immediately reminded of 9/11, we automatically started talking about where we were that day and the people we knew that died. PTSD is real, all of NYC has PTSD, I can't imagine how the people who were down there that day feel. They need help.

meryl from manhattan

It's so sad to hear how the politician are treating those who responded to the call of duty. They didn't hesitate to go up and save lives and they didn't expect how the City Agency and Our Government treated them afterwards. But if they need our votes they do come out and feed us lies.

Carlos

The is not surprising since the government feel like the common working man are their slaves and are expendable. It is not rocket science to figure out that if a larger amount of first responders have died from cancer after 9/11 then ever had before it there might be some correlation. Politicians are quick to use 9/11 to pander for votes but, drag their feet to help the people who put their lives on the line that day.

RL

When you were inquiring a week ago about the new 9/11 curriculum in schools and asking, "What should be taught?" I couldn't heelp but think, "That if go in to help after a terrorist attack, you won't be taken care of in kind." What are our 1st responders supposed to do next time [if...hopefully never]? Wait for an agreement to be reached, haggle over the bargaining table? These people need to be guaranteed the same care as, I don't know, maybe as our military personell. Perhaps civilians can be enlisted/procesed some way in such a case: this needs to be taken care of now.

Veronica
Jackson Heights
God Bless our First Responders
Americans want you to be cared for!!!

PTSD and Cancer should absolutely be covered. As someone who suffers with PTSD (not from 9/11) and I know how scary it is. To not cover these conditions is an insult to those who had to do a job that the rest of couldn't even imagine. We owe everyone who lived and worked there anything they need. We should be ashamed as a society that it isn't.

Jennifer

Everyone whom worked at the World Trade Center should be covered anyone who states that cancer is not from the Center does not know what they are talking about for one reason, they were not there .My brother in law NYPD was as healthy as can be until he worked withy the debris from the world trade center at the STATEN ISLAND landfill. he came with Rino Carcinoma a very aggressive cancer 47 years of age died March 5 2012. Everyone should covered no questions asked .

Anonymous

my name is james from staten island--------i believe the workers should be compensated and the laws reversed to make them able to collect compensation ---the authorities need to be able to break the law and pay------am i right ????this must be a problem with a legal contract ,not a moral contract...i beleiev it is a cold thing to do to our emergency workers.I watched the buildings fall from the staten island ferry-----i will never get the thought and picture out of my mind-------i believe they did get cancer and it should be payable --there is no doubt the ptsd [post traumatic is real]].so the answer is yes--------plus there are plenty more people waiting to work so give these people what they need and let them be replaced ---one hand washes the other

My name is Alyssa from bay ridge brooklyn and of course everyone that was affected on 9/11 should be covered under the health bill because whether it be PTSD or Cancer or even both they are results of being there and saving lives or helping to clean up from the horrible disaster of that day. My father not only responded and saved lives that day but helped clean up for days after and if it comes up later on that he is sick from being a hero it would be a disgrace that him and people like him dont recieve help after they risked their lives to help others!

My view of caring for those made ill by the 9/11 attack is quite different. The attack was a terrorist attack and as such would qualify as an act of war. I believe those who have been made ill should be given a special veterans status created for the purpose of caring for those injured in terrorist attacks. With that would come the medical benefits that veterans receive. They are really veterans of a war. The work they did was as life threatening as any armed conflict. The military medical services know how to handle these illnesses.

Taking this approach would also benefit others who might be injured in future attacks. What I am saying is a different approach and I have stated it in general terms but I think the idea may have merit. Thank you for reading this.

Virginia
New York, NY

Regarding your question on cancer and the injury recovery bill........Sadly, these men and women are developing random cancers after their work down at the World Trade Center site. They deserve and are entitled to compensation.

Take care.
Julie, NY, NY

It boggles the mind that the Zadroga Act willnot include cancer & PTSD coverage, as these 2 elements are the most devasting. As we know, cancer from toxic exposure (as with asbestos) takes years to develop. Haiti has an earthquake and we send hundreds of millions of dollars to them. Telethons and fundraisers for all except our own. But for this cause, for our own, there isn't enough money? I am ashamed of this, and hope that it may still be amended to include all who are in need of coverage for all poisoning-cancer and PTSD. Can you imagine the incredible sense of betrayal our heroes fell over this incredible slap in the face. Is there anything that we can do to change this?

Marie
Bay Ridge

I HAVE LIVED IN BATTERY PARK CITY SINCE 1982

I SAW THE SECOND PLANE HIT FROM MY KITCHEN WINDOW.

WE WERE TOLD IT WAS SAFE TO RETURN AFTER 3 WEEKS. I CALLED CONSTANTLY TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE AIR QUALITY AND ALL I WAS TOLD THEY WERE MONITORING THE AIR QUALITY AND I QUOTE " THE AIR WAS FINE" THE FIRE DID NOT GO OUT UNTIL DECEMBER

WITHIN 8 MONTHS OR SO I CAME DOWN WITH PARKINSONS

IT IS FUNNY THE ONE INDUSTRY THAT HAS THE HIGHEST INCIDENCE OF PARKINSONS IS THE BUILDING TRADE INDUSTRY - WELDERS IN PARTICULAR.

YET AS CANCER WHICH HAS NO KNOWN CAUSE PARKINSONS IS NOT RECOGNIZED AS A DISEASE ASSOCIATED WITH 9-11

RON
BATTERY PARK CITY

I was in a school at the north end of Manhattan when the planes hit -- about as far from the disaster as you could get and still be in the same borough. Yet, to this day, I can't look into a cloudless sky -- the kind of sky we had that day -- and not feel uneasy. This is clearly some type of Post-Traumatic Stress symptom.

If it's still affecting me, what must it be doing to the people who were on the scene of the disaster? You can't really simply say to those people, "Just get over it!"

Ellen
Washington Heights

Too many of this city's bravest- NYFD, NYPD and other 9-11 first responders -have already lost their lives and too many are suffering the devastating health problems caused by breathing in toxic dust and debris. Who can discount the link between the high incidence of cancer diagnoses? Mayor Bloomberg for one. And City Council Speaker Quinn, where is your out cry? It is disgraceful that those brave and valiant men and women have to fight for their lives and for expert medical care coverage. Ten years later, Ground Zero is a sorry site- those unfinished Towers representing Greed. Allowing that ground to stay sacred, costs of parklands and memorials being donated , would have paid homage to the memory of 9/11. The money spent in rebuilding the site would have been better spent being donated to a living memorial- compensation and full healthcare coverage for all those who are suffering the consequences of their bravery and for the families of those who lost loved ones responding on that tragic day. Time to prioritize and walk the walk- talk is cheap-let's start by re directing funds to include those with cancer, and how about if the billion dollars being raised for Obama's Reelection campaign goes into the Zadroga Fund. Now that would be a fitting speech and tribute at 9/11/11.

Jeri
New York, New York 10069

also be financial compensation as I have no question that their illnesses are due to helping at 9/11. Why lives and their health to do their job. I feel strongly about this, and that I am certain that many of their illnesses are 9/11 related ? Because I live in a high-rise building next to and overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge and happened to see the plane go right into the WTC on the fateful morning of 9/11. I had been putting on make-up and the plane was a little lower down but in front of my window and went right into the WTC. I foolishly remained in my apartment. Little did I know that I should get out of the area. I saw nothing advising people to get out. I developed a cough soon after, and 3 weeks after 9/11, I saw my dr. He immediately told me to "GET OUT OF THERE". If not for him, I would have been much more ill than I even am now, as I moved out for some time until the air was cleared.

I developed COPD as a result of 9/11, from which I still suffer and it is a disease that gets progressively worse.I do feel angry that nowhere did I see anything on TV, or read in the newspapers, advising me to move out of the area. Our governments, city, and national. should have warned people who were exposed to the pollution of the WTC and how dangerous it was.

The fireman, police, and all first responders should receive any help they need. There is no question about that. It should have been offered as soon as it became apparent that they were developing illnesses that were work related. They should have been appreciated by our government, both national and city, and aided with whatever they need, instead of the firemen having to fight to get what they deserve for risking their lives to do their job.

Faye

I like how callers are comparing the first responders to veterans and suggesting they get special veteran status. The way we are treating these 9/11 “veterans” is similar to how we treat our war veterans – generally disgraceful. The way a country treats its veterans defines its character and spending, especially for this relatively small number of people, should not be controversial or up for debate.

Sue
Manhattan

yes-3k ppl died- but the 1st RESPONDERS CHOSE TO RISK THEIR LIVES 2 GO IN AND RESCUE PPL!!!!! They knew they might (more like WOULDN'T) not survive and yet they WALKED INTO THAT CRUMBLING, SMOKING, INFERNO WITHOUT ANY HESITATION. they died and left spouses, children, mothers & fathers & all sorts of family and friends to mourn them- yet at the same time feeling SO PROUD OF THEIR HEROS!!! it is a SICKENING INSULT AND SLAP IN THE FACE TO ALL MEN/WOMEN 1st responders WHO DIED THAT DAY AND CONTINUE TO DO SO EVERY DAY SAVING PPL ( usually stupid ones at that who've partaken in some act knowing full well the dangers involved and/or by blatantly disregarding warnings & forbidden activities). in my opinion, in a way, their sacrifices are almost more tragic- again- because in essence these HEROS chose to die in their efforts to help others live. I am ashamed and so f***ing angry that the city is totally screwing them over and disregarding thier lives, deaths, and selfless efforts to save everyone that day.

SHAME ON THE CITY OF NY. SHAME ON BLOOMBERG!

Hope in Bay Ridge