Heroic Police Officer, 60, Was Among the First To Respond to 9/11 Attacks, Now Decades Later He’s Battling Cancer Linked to Ground Zero

September 11 Survivors and Lingering Cancer Risks

• A 60-year-old retired NYPD detective who responded to Ground Zero amid the 9/11 attacks says many years later, he was diagnosed with a string of health conditions, including skin cancer.
• The Sept. 11 attacks exposed an estimated 490,000 people to a load of cancer-causing toxins. Many survivors and first responders have suffered illnesses due to exposure to the air in and around Ground Zero.
• Cancer is the fifth most common 9/11-related health condition among responders and the fourth among survivors. The most common cancers in these groups are of the skin (non-melanoma), prostate, and breast (in females), melanoma, and lymphoma.
• An expert in the health consequences of large-scale disasters says the full extent of 9/11 remains unknown many years later.
• People exposed to toxins and pollution in the air after the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, are encouraged to explore resources such as the World Trade Center Health Program.

A retired New York City police officer who was among the first to respond to Ground Zero amid the terror attacks is still coping with the lingering effects of toxins in the air. Retired NYPD detective Marty Davin, 60, is dealing with several health conditions, including skin cancer. He is among thousands of people in and around Ground Zero on that horrific day that dealt with lingering health effects many years later. WATCH: A then-high school student who was just blocks away from Ground Zero on 9/11 found himself diagnosed with cancer years later. The 9/11 attacks exposed an estimated 490,000 people to a load of cancer-causing toxins that is impossible to quantify. Cancer is the fifth most common 9/11-related health condition among responders and the fourth among survivors. The most common cancers in these groups are of the skin (non-melanoma), prostate, and breast (in females), melanoma, and lymphoma. Although Davin had been dealing with a series of diagnoses over the years stemming from toxins he was exposed to during the aftermath of the attacks, he hit another snag while trying to acquire benefits to help with treatment costs.

According to NorthJersey.com, who spoke with Davin, the retired police officer experienced “respiratory ailments, blood complications, and skin cancer as well as sleep apnea.” Davin, a father of two linked to 9/11, reemerged as he sought health benefits from the NYPD. However, to be approved for 9/11-linked health benefits, he had to prove he was directly impacted. He managed to reconnect with a New Jersey news reporter he spoke to that day to help provide the added proof. Ultimately, the pension board approved Davin’s request for 9/11 pension benefits. He fears as symptoms slowly but surely emerge years after the tragic attacks; he wants to ensure he’s covered for treatment. WATCH: Understanding Your Skin Cancer Risk Although it remains unclear the exact type of skin cancer Davin was diagnosed with, a New York City area law firm claims to have represented nearly “2,000 9/11 victims who have been diagnosed with melanoma.” Melanoma is a potentially deadly form of skin cancer. It starts in the same cells that give your skin, hair, and eyes their color. In melanoma, the cells change in a way that allows them to spread to other organs. The most important thing to look for when finding melanoma is a new spot on your skin or a spot that changes in size, shape, or color.

More Stories from September 11th Survivors

• 9/11 Cancer Survivor Beat A Recurrence At The Peak Of COVID-19 — One Of The First To Do So
• 9/11 Cancers — New Warning Says 300,000 People at Risk Are Not Getting Help They Need
• ‘We Were Told The Air Was Safe’ — The People At Risk for 9/11 Cancers
• As 9/11-Linked Cancers Continue to Climb, Jon Stewart Urges Congress to Fund First Responders’ Medical Costs
• New 9/11 Memorial Honors Heroes Lost Or Still Suffering From Ground Zero-Linked Illness, Including Tragic Cancers

Sept. 11th Continues to Plague Survivors

More than 71,000 people are enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Registry . This registry tracks the long-term physical and mental health effects of the September 11 attacks. The World Trade Center Health Program has tracked the health of and provided medical care to more than 105,000 survivors and responders. They include responders and survivors of the World Trade Center attack and responders to the Pentagon attack and the Pennsylvania plane crash. Among them, 19,150 that's nearly 1 in 5 have had a 9/11-related cancer. The immense debris rushing into the air during the terror attacks comprised explosive material from the airplane’s impact itself, including the building material of the World Trade Center itself. The National Cancer Institute has identified several chemical substances known to be carcinogenic to humans. Some examples of carcinogenic chemicals include:

• Arsenic
• Asbestos
• Indoor emissions from household compounds
• Soot
• Secondhand tobacco smoke
• Wood dust

WATCH: Are toxins in the air making us sick? "There has been no other disaster quite like this," Dr. Michael Crane tells SurvivorNet. Dr. Crane is the Medical Director of the World Trade Center Health Program at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and an expert in the health consequences of large-scale disasters. "We are looking at an exposure that was really frightening and whose total extent is unknown."

Dealing With 9/11-Linked Disease

Hundreds of thousands of people may have been exposed to toxins and pollution in the air after the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. There are resources available.

• C ancer After 57 Days at Ground Zero: A Retired Firefighter Shares His 9/11 Story
• Hundreds Pay Respect to 9/11 First Responder Luis Alvarez, Who Died of Cancer Linked to the Attacks
• New 9/11 Memorial Honors Heroes Lost Or Still Suffering From Ground Zero-Linked Illness, Including Tragic Cancers
• Everyone Who Was There, Get Screened: 9/11 Responder John Feal’s Story
• He Was a 9/11 Rescue Worker, He Got Cancer, And He Wouldn’t Change a Thing
• Helpful Resources if You’re Worried About 9/11-linked Cancer