Nearly a quarter-century after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the people exposed to the toxic dust and smoke of Ground Zero are still getting sick — and new data show cancer cases continuing to climb. It is a quiet, ongoing chapter of the disaster that outlasts the headlines.
What the new figures show
According to data tied to the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program and reported by Northwell Health, certified 9/11-related cancer cases in one program grew from 177 in 2023 to 235 in 2025 — a 75% rise over three years, with 132 additional cases in the first half of 2026 alone. Program-wide, of roughly 145,000 enrolled members (responders and survivors), about 57,000 have had a cancer certified over the program’s lifetime — including more than 10,000 certified in the past year. The number of survivors receiving support for cancer treatment has roughly tripled in recent years.
Why the toll is still growing
The grim arithmetic reflects the biology of cancer. Many cancers have long latency periods — they can take decades to develop after exposure to a carcinogen. The dust that blanketed Lower Manhattan contained a mix of known and suspected carcinogens, including asbestos, silica, benzene and heavy metals. That means the peak of 9/11-related cancers may still lie ahead, not behind — cases diagnosed today were, in effect, set in motion 25 years ago.
Not just first responders
Public attention has long focused on the firefighters, police and recovery workers at Ground Zero, and rightly so. But the data underscore that “survivors” — the residents, office workers, students and others who lived, worked or studied in the exposure zone — now account for a large and growing share of illness. Among the most commonly certified cancers are prostate and skin cancers, followed by breast and urinary-tract cancers. The health legacy also extends beyond cancer, encompassing respiratory disease and mental-health conditions such as PTSD.
Why it matters
The WTC Health Program, established under federal law, provides monitoring and treatment to those exposed — and these numbers are a stark argument for why such long-term programs and their funding must be sustained. For tens of thousands of people, the anniversary is not a matter of history but an ongoing medical reality, one that will require care and vigilance for decades more. As the latency clock keeps ticking, continued screening, certification and coverage remain essential. This summarizes reported public-health data and is not medical advice.