Two decades after the collapse of the World Trade Center, people are still coming forward to report illnesses that might be related to toxic dust that billowed over the city after the terror attack.
FILE — In this Sept. 11, 2001 file photo, people covered in dust from the collapsed World Trade Center buildings, walk through the area, in New York. Two decades after the twin towers' collapse, people are still coming forward to report illnesses that might be related to the attacks.
Today, all three are among more than 111,000 people enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program, which gives free medical care to people withTwo decades after the twin towers’ collapse, people are still coming forward to report illnesses that might be related to the attacks. Over the years, that has led to some friction between patients who are absolutely sure they have an illness connected to 9/11, and doctors who have doubts.She initially had a hard time persuading doctors that the chronic ear infections, sinus issues and asthma afflicting her children, or her own shortness of breath, had anything to do with the copious amounts of dust she had to clean out of her apartment.
Time has helped heal some physical ailments, but not others. Many first responders who developed a chronic cough later had it fade, or disappear entirely, but others have shown little improvement. Rates of a few specific types of cancer — including malignant melanoma, thyroid cancer and prostate cancer — have been found to be modestly elevated, but researchers say that could be due to more cases being caught in medical monitoring programs.
In the federal health program's early years, many people enrolling were police officers, firefighters and other people who worked on the debris pile. More recently, though, a majority of applications have been from people who worked or lived in Lower Manhattan -- folks like Carl Sadler, who was in Morgan Stanley’s 76th floor office in the Trade Center’s south tower when it was struck and rocked by a hijacked aircraft.
“He said, ’You have a lot of health issues. You’ve had a lot of health issues. You should register,” Sadler says. Research is also underway to possibly add to the list of covered conditions. The program’s administrator, Dr. John Howard, says conditions being studied now include autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How VFX Artists Have Recreated the World Trade Center for a Post-9/11 WorldSome of the most enduring images of the 9/11 attacks were the before-and-after photos of the World Trade Center, with the soaring towers beautifully jutting out from Downtown before they fell to th…
Read more »
Forensic teams look back at 20-year mission to identify World Trade Center remainsA team of New York City forensic scientists reflect on the two decades of work done to identify thousands of remains at Ground Zero.
Read more »
World Trade Center complex remains incomplete two decades after 9/11Money, design and tenancy drag out construction at the 9/11 site that honours the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks, with two planned skyscrapers, a performing arts centre and a church still unfinished.
Read more »
Buried alive, World Trade Center collapse survivor still carries 9/11 with him todayIt was 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001, when American Airline Flight 11 struck the North Tower. On a conference call with his boss on the 47th floor, Tom Canavan tried to escape and found himself buried alive
Read more »
Windows on the World chef on his near-miss on 9/11 — he stopped off at the World Trade Center concourse to repair his glassesBecause of a twist of fate, Michael Lomonaco wasn't working at Windows on the World when the first plane hit the twin towers.
Read more »
Proposal of football World Cup every two years gets positive responseFIFA’s head of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger saw support for the idea among former players and coaches, but UEFA and World Leagues Forum oppose his plans.
Read more »