Ashima Sharda Mahindra • 10 Dec 2024
Breast Cancer Among Men Working on 9/11 Health Programme in New York Skyrockets; Here's Why
CDC has reported that 91 men in the 9/11 Health Programme have been diagnosed with the deadly cancer to date
Breast cancer cases among men who work and live around the World Trade Center’s Ground Zero area have skyrocketed, according to US media reports. The federal Centers for Diseases Control has reported that 91 men in the 9/11 Health Programme have been diagnosed with the deadly cancer to date – six times the number reported in 2018 and 90 times higher than the national average.
Even though breast cancer is a rarity among men – as nearly one out of 100,000 males get the potentially killer disease, it can still be treated if diagnosed in early stages.
Male breast cancer grows in the breast tissue in your chest. Even though men do not have breasts that produce milk, they do have fatty tissue, ducts, and breast cells that can become cancerous. Cancer develops when cells in these tissues grow uncontrollably, forming a tumour
According to experts, since it is unusual, most men do not even get to know that they can get breast cancer, as opposed to women who get tested regularly. According to the data compiled by the CDC, 91 out of 98,590 men in the WTCHP have been diagnosed with the disease, said Michael Barasch, the lawyer for 54 male breast cancer patients enrolled in the WTCHP. “These numbers may be the tip of the iceberg,” Barasch told reporters. “Breast cancer is really exploding among men.”
There are more than 50 cancers, diseases, and other illnesses presumed to be linked to the stew of toxins that spewed into the air when the two World Trade Center towers collapsed after terrorists slammed hijacked planes into the buildings on September 11, 2001. Breast cancer is just one of them.
Victims eligible for compensation
First responders, officer workers, and residents who were present at Ground Zero zone and got breast cancer are eligible for government-funded treatment and $250,000 in awards from the Victims Compensation Fund if they enroll in the WTC Health Programme.
Most of those diagnosed now had spent months transporting smoldering, hazardous materials from the debris of the collapsed buildings that were responsible for the life-threatening illness.
What causes breast cancer in men?
According to experts, uncontrolled cell growth in the breast tissue causes male breast cancer and leads to tumours due to healthy cells transforming into cancer cells. Eventually, cells from the tumour also break off and travel to other parts of your body through the lymphatic system and the cancer spreads all over.
A few factors for men that may increase the risk of developing breast cancer include:
- Genetics
- Family history
- High estrogen levels due to obesity, liver disease
- Medication for estrogen which includes hormone replacement drugs
- Testicular issues
- Radiation therapy
- Environmental factors
Signs and symptoms of male breast cancer
Apart from noticeable physical changes in your breast tissue, a few other signs and symptoms of male breast cancer include:
- A firm, painless lump in your breast tissue, behind your nipple, or in your armpit
- The skin on your chest becomes dimpled or pitted
- Red, flaky, or scaly skin around your breast nipple
- Pain or tenderness in your chest
- Clear or bloody nipple discharge
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