The WTC Program Administrator has determined minimum latencies for the following five types or categories of cancer eligible for coverage in the WTC Health Program:
(1) Mesothelioma—11 years, based on direct observation after exposure to mixed forms of asbestos;
(2) All solid cancers (other than mesothelioma, lymphoproliferative, thyroid, and childhood cancers)—4 years, based on low estimates used for lifetime risk modeling of low-level ionizing radiation studies;
(3) Lymphoproliferative and hematopoietic cancers (including all types of leukemia and lymphoma)—0.4 years (equivalent to 146 days), based on low estimates used for lifetime risk modeling of low-level ionizing radiation studies;
(4) Thyroid cancer—2.5 years, based on low estimates used for lifetime risk modeling of low level ionizing radiation studies; and
(5) Childhood cancers (other than lymphoproliferative and hematopoietic cancers)—1 year, based on the National Academy of Sciences findings.
According to the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 ("Act") (42 U.S.C. §§ 300mm to 300mm-61), a determination that an individual's 9/11 exposure is substantially likely to be a significant factor in aggravating, contributing to, or causing an individual’s health condition must be made based on an assessment of the following: (1) the individual's exposure to airborne toxins, any other hazard, or any other adverse condition resulting from the terrorist attacks; and (2) the type of symptoms and temporal sequence of symptoms (42 U.S.C. § 300mm-22(a)(2)). With regard to the temporal sequence of symptoms, cancers do not occur immediately after exposure to a causative agent and they usually take many years up to several decades to manifest clinically.
Click here to read the entire revised policy. (1/6/2015)
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