Cancer cases among 9/11 survivors surge nearly 25 years later - report

A Washington Post analysis of World Trade Center Health Program data shows the number of 9/11 survivors receiving cancer aid roughly tripled over five years, from about 8,870 in 2021 to 27,300 in 2026. Of roughly 54,000 survivors treated by the program in 2026, about half receive cancer-related assistance, up from 35% in 2021. An FDNY report released Tuesday found hundreds of members have died from 9/11-related illnesses, with the post-9/11 death toll more than double the 343 killed on the day of the attacks.

A Washington Post analysis of data from the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), a federal health care program for people affected by the 9/11 attacks, reveals that the number of survivors receiving aid for cancer treatment has roughly tripled over the past five years. According to the analysis, about 8,870 survivors were receiving aid for 9/11-related cancer treatment in 2021. By 2026, that number had risen to 27,300. Of the roughly 54,000 survivors treated by the WTCHP in 2026, about half are receiving assistance for cancer-related expenses, up from 35% in 2021. First responders and other New Yorkers near Ground Zero have also reported respiratory illnesses, mental health impacts, and dementia. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani noted the 2027 city budget has allocated tens of millions of dollars to create an online portal for city documents. An FDNY World Trade Center Health Program report released Tuesday found hundreds of FDNY members have died from 9/11-related illnesses, causing the post-9/11 FDNY death toll to more than double the 343 members killed on the day of the attacks. The report also found FDNY responders with cancer enrolled in the program were more likely to survive compared with comparable New York State cancer patients, likely due to extra screenings. Six percent of WTC-exposed FDNY rescue and recovery workers still meet criteria for PTSD in 2026, compared to roughly three percent of the general population. The CDC announced it will seek applications for a World Trade Center Youth Research Coordinating Center to study children who were 21 or younger or in utero and living below 14th Street in Manhattan or anywhere in Brooklyn on and after 9/11, with up to $50 million in total program funding and an estimated start date of July 1, 2027.