Researchers found no overall increase in cancer risk among World Trade Center (WTC)-exposed firefighters following the 9/11 attacks compared with other firefighters from several US cities. They noted a nearly 4-fold increase in the rate in thyroid cancer, but this increased risk was not significant after controlling for possible biases related to cancer screening. (WTC-exposed firefighters have access to health care and routine health monitoring exams even after retirement.)
The investigators also found a 1.4-fold increase in the rate in prostate cancer in 2005 to 2009 among WTC-exposed firefighters compared with other urban firefighters.
The American Journal of Industrial Medicine findings come from the same group of researchers who previously discovered an elevated cancer risk in WTC-exposed firefighters compared with the general population.
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