More than 2,500 responders and rescuers who worked at the World Trade Center site following 9/11 have cancer, and a growing number are seeking compensation.
World Trade Center Health Program at Mount Sinai Hospital counts 1,655 responders, including police officers, while the FDNY counts 863 firefighters and EMTs who have been certified for treatment, according to The New York Post.
The number of cases has risen significantly from the 1,140 reported last year.
WTC epidemiologists have said that studies show that 9/11 workers have gotten certain cancers at a significantly higher rate than expected in the normal population. Those cancers include prostate, thyroid, leukemia and multiple myeloma.
As of June 30, the federal 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund had received 1,145 claims listing cancer and of those, 881 claims were deemed eligible for compensation, with the rest under review.
So far, 115 cancer claimants have been awarded a total $50.5 million, in sums from $400,000 to $4.1 million.
Many more responders with cancer or their next of kin are expected to file for compensation by the Oct. 12 deadline for cancer claims.
