Opinion: I’m a thoracic surgeon in New York City. For many of my patients, Sept. 11 is still not over — SkimNews
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- Raja Flores, chair of Thoracic Surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, writes that ground zero responders and survivors make up a regular part of his practice — he treats lung and esophageal cancer, mesothelioma, and other illnesses associated with exposure at the disaster site.
- The 25th anniversary ceremony at the World Trade Center will add a new moment of silence honoring those who died not on Sept. 11, 2001, but in the years that followed from illnesses linked to their ground zero exposure.
- The World Trade Center Health Program has enrolled more than 140,000 responders and survivors; more than 8,000 enrolled members have died, and tens of thousands have developed cancers, respiratory diseases, digestive disorders, and mental health conditions linked to their exposure.
- Retired NYPD officer John Aris, a patient of Flores, had part of his right lung removed seven years ago; he told Flores about friends — construction workers, firefighters, and police officers who worked the pile with him — who later died of esophageal cancer, leukemia, and respiratory illness.
- Retired firefighter William Corrar, another Flores patient, worked at the site for months after the attacks, dismissed worsening reflux as aging for years, and was eventually diagnosed with esophageal cancer.
- The toxic cloud over Lower Manhattan contained pulverized concrete, glass fibers, asbestos, heavy metals, and combustion products — substances Flores says exposed thousands of responders plus residents, office workers, and students who lived or studied nearby and were told the air was safe.
Why it matters: More than 8,000 World Trade Center Health Program members have died from illnesses linked to ground zero exposure, with tens of thousands still enrolled and developing new diagnoses each year. For those families, the 25th anniversary marks not closure but the continuation of a public health crisis tied to a single day's toxic exposure.
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