Feds to Cover Cancer of 9/11 Responders

On the eve of 9/11's anniversary, the federal government has added 50 kinds of cancer to the list of ailments covered by the Twin Towers health program, the AP reports. The National Institute for Occupational Safety made the announcement today after years of lobbying by 9/11 first responders, office cleaners, and construction workers who inhaled the World Trade Center's toxic ashes. Still, there is no direct evidence of the building's remains causing cancer.

Yet experts have testified that heavy exposure to carcinogens in the soot and ash could cause the disease, and stories abound of first responders who came down with cancer. Mayor Bloomberg joined the cry of politicians hailing the move, saying that "those who have become ill due to the heinous attacks on 9/11 get the medical care they need and deserve." However, some are concerned that the program's $4.3 billion budget will be strained by the addition, which came with no extra funding. (More 9/11 health bill stories.)