9/11 Breast Cancer Claims

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Before the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, people may have had a difficult time imagining a link between breast cancer and toxic dust. This includes male breast cancer, which makes up approximately one percent of cases.

However, researchers with the World Trade Center Health Program have established a definitive link between the two in the years since the collapse of the Twin Towers. In fact, the organization lists female breast cancer as the sixth most common type of cancer that has arisen from the World Trade Center disaster in New York City. Non-invasive breast carcinoma in situ is the 15th most common. While less serious than breast cancer, this condition may require surgery to remove the carcinoma.

Do you qualify for the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund?

The September 11 Victim Compensation Fund provides funds to first responders and survivors of Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and the plane crash that took place in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. However, you must have a qualifying condition. Our attorneys will help you register for the WTC Health Program by July 2021 and file your claim after that. Many first responders and survivors report that this can be a complex and frustrating process. Our combined law firms are here to help. Working with us from the start helps you avoid frustrating delays and denials on claims that otherwise would have received payment.

Cannata, Hendele & Cannata help first responders and survivors of the World Trade Center attack recover the financial resources they need when dealing with a diagnosis of breast cancer. We invite you to contact our firm today at 1-888-982-8428 to request your free consultation today. The partners at the firm will learn more about your case, let you know if you’re eligible, and assist you with the entire process of registering and making a claim.

The link between toxic dust and breast cancer

After the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) added more than 75 types of cancer in 2010, administrators for the WTC Health Program included breast cancer in its List of Covered Cancers. This came about from a casual observance of the connection between disrupted nighttime sleep and first responders involved in clean-up work. Later, a publication called Lancet Oncology noticed a link between female and male breast cancer and PCBs, also known as polychlorinated biphenyls. Researchers confirmed the connection to PCBs when they located them in the toxic dust of Ground Zero.

According to medical researchers, PCBs can disrupt the endocrine system and/or enhance metastatic properties found in breast cancer cells. If you suspect that you could have developed breast cancer resulting from toxic dust exposure, we urge you to contact your doctor and then visit Cannata, Hendele & Cannata for your free legal consultation.

Understanding the WTC Health Program (WTCHP) and VCF

Congress first passed legislation authorizing the disbursement of funds to pay health care and other expenses for first responders and survivors of the terrorist attack in December 2001. Program funding lasted until 2004. Fortunately, it came up for renewal in 2010, 2015, and 2019 and is authorized to continue until 2090. The fund has also gone by the name James Zadroga Health and Compensation Act since 2010.

James Zadroga was a police officer with the New York City Police Department who died in 2005 as a result of post-9/11 respiratory disease. He was just 34 years old.

To start the process of determining eligibility and applying for a claim, our attorneys will first get you signed up for the World Trade Center Health Program. The July 29, 2021 deadline for doing so coincides with the two-year anniversary of the date President Trump signed legislation to add 71 more years to the program.

The WTC Health Program provides treatment as well as medical monitoring for eligible first responders and clean-up workers exposed to the toxic dust of any of the three locations listed above between September 11, 2001, and May 30, 2002. Except for a few miscellaneous locations along Canal Street, program regulations don’t require you to have been physically present on the day of the attacks. You receive ratings based on your time of exposure and physical location, which we will cover in more detail during your initial consultation with us.

Eligibility for the WTC Health Program also extends to survivors who worked, lived, attended school, or attended daycare in the area.

This includes adult daycare participants as well. The program has seven locations in New York, including four in the New York City area. These include Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Locations in the Long Island area include Nassau County and Suffolk County with one location in New Jersey.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health oversees all eight WTC Health Program locations. The application we complete for the program depends on whether you fit the description of first responder or survivor. In addition to arranging care and resources for your breast cancer diagnosis, you can receive mental health services and specialty care.

The purpose of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) was to provide financial relief for victims of the attack, plane crash, or toxic exposure. It has also earmarked funds for survivors of people eligible for the fund who passed away before they could collect on it.

Our attorneys will help you submit your claim and will support you every step of the way. Keep in mind that we have until 2090 to file your claim. Submitting a request now preserves your right to make a future claim against the VCF. After we assist you with the initial claim, we’ll work with you to gather supporting documents. These typically include medical reports and proof that you meet eligibility requirements at a minimum.

Symptoms commonly associated with breast cancer

While not every breast change means you have cancer, it’s always a good idea to know the symptoms and bring them to your doctor’s attention if you experience them. According to the American Cancer Society, any of these symptoms can merit a trip to your doctor:

• Breast pain
• Dimpling or skin irritation
• Discharge from the nipple that is not breast milk
• Nipple turning inward and/or nipple pain
• Redness, scaliness, or thickening of the breast skin or nipple
• Swelling in all or part of one or both breasts
• Underarm lump

You might also consider performing monthly breast self-exams if you feel concerned about your risk of developing breast cancer. It’s important to take the time to cover the entirety of each breast as well as the area under your armpits. Lumps in that area could still indicate breast cancer even when not located in the breast directly due to the connection of nerves and tissues between the two.

When you have breast cancer, it means that you have uncontrolled breast cell growth. This can happen due to the presence of PBCs mentioned above. Cancer occurs as the cells grow out of control and eventually start to mutate. This can also prevent healthy new cells from replacing old ones. Mutations eventually become tumors. The earlier you receive a diagnosis of breast cancer, the greater the likelihood of long-term survival. Enrolling in the World Trade Center Health Program as early as possible also improves the possibility you will recover from the disease.

Discuss your 9/11 breast cancer claim with a VCF lawyer today

Decades after the tragic events of 9/11 and cleanup efforts during the eight months that followed, health impacts (such as 9/11-related breast cancer) are still affecting thousands of Americans every year.

The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund was created to provide financial support to those have suffered loss or adverse health consequences as a result of their exposure to toxic chemicals.

The World Trade Center Victim Compensation Fund attorneys from our firm have a reputation as premier experts within the 9/11 community. We take pride in guiding clients through the claim process and helping them obtain the compensation they need to live with their breast cancer diagnosis.

We also work with victims of prostate cancer, myeloma, thyroid cancer, and several non-cancer health conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder.

You have paid your debt to the United States for your role in helping the country recover from the terror attacks or simply by supporting the economy by living or working in the area. It’s time that you received your rightful compensation for that. Our 911 breast cancer attorneys are here to help.

If you've been diagnosed with cancer, we encourage you to contact us today to discuss your rights to compensation and free lifetime health care.

Please call our law office at 1-888-982-8428 or complete an online contact form to schedule your free initial consultation.