After a years’ long battle, on November 18, 2021, the Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) of the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) recommended that uterine cancer (including endometrial cancer) be added to the list of WTC conditions. The next step is for the Administrator of the WTCHP, Dr. John Howard, M.D., to approve the STAC’s recommendation.
The Effects of Approval
If approved the formal process of including uterine cancer on the list of WTC-health related conditions will unfold. This administrative process involves proposing rules, revising rules, and publishing a final rule. After this point, the WTCHP will create a framework for allowing eligible 9/11 survivors and first responders with uterine cancer to begin filing 9/11 uterine cancer claims seeking benefits.
Both the WTCHP and the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) were created by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, which was signed into law by President Obama in January of 2011. President Obama subsequently signed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act of 2015 into law, which expanded benefits and compensation to victims.
9/11 Survivors and First Responders with Uterine Cancer
Female 9/11 survivors and first responders with uterine and endometrial cancer have waited long enough to become eligible for benefits through the WTCHP, and compensation through the VCF. The WTCHP provides coverage for all cancer-related treatments, which can be extremely costly. Compensation available through the VCF is determined on a case-by-case basis, as every survivor and first responder’s conditions are unique.
Uterine cancer was the only cancer type not already included on the WTC-related health conditions list. As such, the time has come to include all cancer victims, and now women who have been overlooked are being recognized.
Steps Taken to Add Uterine Cancer to the List of 9/11 Related Conditions
The STAC’s recent decision to recommend that uterine cancer be added to the WTC-related health condition list comes two years after a petition to add uterine cancer was denied. The 2019 petition was denied for lacking data to support the link between exposure to 9/11 toxins and the development of cancer. Unfortunately, the population of female 9/11 survivors and first responders was too low in the existing available studies to reach a conclusion and recommend action.
In September 2020, another petition to add uterine cancer to the 9/11-related health condition list was considered invalid for failing to address a new issue. However, the WTCHP Administrator believed the new evidence presented warranted further review. Upon further review and a push from certain lawmakers, the WTCHP presented its initial assessment to the STAC in August of this year.
The STAC held a public meeting at the end of September of this year, at which point the WTCHP’s initial assessment was presented. A subsequent STAC meeting was held on November 18, 2021, to discuss the STAC’s response to the WTCHP Administrator’s request for the Committee to recommend whether uterine cancer should be added to the list of WTC-related health conditions. The STAC submitted its recommendation that a reasonable basis does exist to include uterine cancer on the list.
What Should 9/11 Victims with Uterine Cancer Do?
Survivors and first responders with uterine cancer who were exposed to 9/11 toxins should consider speaking with a 9/11 attorney as soon as possible. Most uterine cancer victims suffer from endometrial cancer, which is the most common type of uterine cancer. More than 90 percent of all uterine cancer cases involve the endometrium.
Although the process of adding uterine cancer to the list of WTC-related health conditions is not complete, 9/11 victims who speak with a lawyer will be ready when the time comes to begin submitting 9/11 uterine cancer claims.
Contact the 9/11 Attorneys of Pitta & Baione LLP Today
Now that the recommendation has been made to add uterine cancer to the list of 9/11-related health conditions, survivors and first responders may have an opportunity to file a 9/11 uterine cancer claim. At Pitta & Baione LLP, our team of 9/11 attorneys devote their careers to representing the rights of injured and ill 9/11 victims.
We currently represent clients with uterine cancer and have the necessary experience and knowledge to provide you with a thorough free consultation to provide you with an analysis of your situation and guidance on your next steps. Contact our office today to speak with a 9/11 uterine cancer claims lawyer.
