WTC Final Rule Statement – Addition of Cancer

September 12, 2012

As Administrator of the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program, I would like to thank the WTC Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee (STAC), the researchers and practitioners who have contributed greatly to the knowledge base on this issue, and the members of the 9/11 community who provided their input on this final rule, which adds certain types of cancers to the List of WTC-Related Health Conditions.

The publication of this final rule marks an important step in the effort to provide needed treatment and care to 9/11 responders and survivors through the WTC Health Program. The original List of WTC-Related Health Conditions that was established by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 did not include cancers, but allowed for the opportunity to add other health conditions over time. We received a petition to consider adding cancer from the New York Congressional Delegation. This petition was shared with the STAC to provide their expertise and recommendation on the question of adding types of cancer to the List of WTC-Related Health Conditions. The WTC STAC's final recommendation became the basis for the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that was published in June 2012.

The final rule adds to the list of WTC-related health conditions each of the types of cancer proposed in the June 2012 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. This addition becomes effective 30-days after it is published in the Federal Register. At that time, WTC Health Program members may begin the process of certifying their cancers as WTC-related health conditions. Non-members who may be eligible can find information about applying to the WTC Health Program through its web page.

Current members of the WTC Health Program should contact their current Clinical Center of Excellence (CCE) to begin the certification process. If you do not know which CCE you attend, please contact our call center at 1-888-982-4748.

If you are not currently enrolled in the WTC Health Program and believe you may be eligible for the Program, please visit our How to Apply page for information about the application process. You can also contact our call center at 1-888-982-4748 for information on how to apply.

Federal Register display of the final rule:
Federal Register Notice

Corrected Federal Register:
Federal Register Notice

Federal Register Notice: World Trade Center, Certification of Breast Cancer in WTC Responders and Survivors Exposed to PCBs
Federal Register Notice

FAQs

A complete list of Frequently Asked Questions concerning Cancer can be found on our FAQs page