. 2021 Mar 7;18(5):2689.

doi: 10.3390/ijerph18052689.

Lung Cancer Characteristics in the World Trade Center Environmental Health Center

Nedim Durmus^{1

2}, Sultan Pehlivan^{1

2}, Yian Zhang^{2

3}, Yongzhao Shao^{2

3

4

5}, Alan A Arslan^{2

3

4

5

6}, Rachel Corona², Ian Henderson¹, Daniel H Sterman¹, Joan Reibman^{1

2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, School of Medicine (SOM), New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA.
² World Trade Center Environmental Health Center, NYC H+HC, New York, NY 10016, USA.
³ Department of Population Health, Division of Biostatistics, School of Medicine (SOM), New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA.
⁴ Department of Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine (SOM), New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA.
⁵ NYU Perlmutter Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY 10016, USA.
⁶ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine (SOM), New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA.

PMID: 33800009
PMCID: PMC7967411
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052689

Lung Cancer Characteristics in the World Trade Center Environmental Health Center

Nedim Durmus et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021.

. 2021 Mar 7;18(5):2689.

doi: 10.3390/ijerph18052689.

Authors

Nedim Durmus^{1

2}, Sultan Pehlivan^{1

2}, Yian Zhang^{2

3}, Yongzhao Shao^{2

3

4

5}, Alan A Arslan^{2

3

4

5

6}, Rachel Corona², Ian Henderson¹, Daniel H Sterman¹, Joan Reibman^{1

2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, School of Medicine (SOM), New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA.
² World Trade Center Environmental Health Center, NYC H+HC, New York, NY 10016, USA.
³ Department of Population Health, Division of Biostatistics, School of Medicine (SOM), New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA.
⁴ Department of Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine (SOM), New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA.
⁵ NYU Perlmutter Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY 10016, USA.
⁶ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine (SOM), New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA.

PMID: 33800009
PMCID: PMC7967411
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052689

Abstract

The destruction of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers on 11 September 2001 resulted in acute and chronic dust and fume exposures to community members, including local workers and residents, with well-described aerodigestive adverse health effects. This study aimed to characterize lung cancer in the WTC Environmental Health Center (WTC EHC) focusing on gender and smoking history. WTC EHC patients undergo an initial evaluation that includes WTC exposure information, demographics, and tobacco use. Detailed cancer characteristics are recorded from pathology reports. As of 31 December 2019, 248 WTC EHC patients had a diagnosis of lung cancer. More patients with lung cancer were women (57%) compared to men (43%). Many cases (47% women, 51% men) reported acute dust cloud exposure. Thirty-seven percent of lung cancer cases with available smoking history were never-smokers (≤1 pack-years) and 42% had a ≤5 pack-year history. The median age of cancer diagnosis in never-smoking women was 61 years compared to 66 years in men. Adenocarcinoma was more common in never-smokers compared to ever-smokers (72% vs. 65%) and in women compared to men (70% vs. 65%). We provide an initial description of lung cancers in local community members with documented exposure to the WTC dust and fumes.

Keywords: September 11th; WTC Environmental Health Center; World Trade Center; cancer characteristics; lung cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Distribution of age of lung cancer diagnosis in women and men by smoking history.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Lung Cancer Characteristics in the World Trade Center Environmental Health Center

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Lung Cancer Characteristics in the World Trade Center Environmental Health Center

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