According to a new report in the New York Post, at least 15 men who were in or around New York’s Ground Zero in the aftermath of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, have been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Men account for only 1 percent of all breast cancers in the United States, making such an incidence rate suspicious. First responders account for five of the cases, including two firefighters and one police sergeant. The others include men who worked in the area and one student.
The New York Post details the story of Jeff Flynn, a 65-year-old who worked in Lower Manhattan on 9/11 and for months afterward. He was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in 2011. Surgeons removed 36 lymph nodes and 35 were cancerous.
“I do feel like my breast cancer was related to exposure to 9/11 toxins. There’s no history of breast cancer in my family,” Flynn said. “I spent months breathing that crap in. You can wind up with any cancer from being down there.”
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Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.