A study published in the August issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine reported a high frequency of multiple myeloma cases observed among World Trade Center responders for September 11.

The six-year study observed 28,252 emergency responders for ground zero at the World Trade Center site. Researchers identified eight cases of myeloma, which was only slightly higher than the statistically expected number of seven cases. However, four of the responders diagnosed with myeloma were under the age of 45, when only one case was expected for that age group.

"Multiple myeloma is usually a disease that occurs in the seventh or eighth decade of life. A person is 10 times more likely to get myeloma when they're 70 than when they're 45 or 48,” said Dr. Jacqueline M. Moline, lead author of the report and director of the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Although no study has yet established a link between the ground zero dust and cancer, the timing of the four cases examined in the study raised questions about whether they were related to the responders’ work site. Three of the responders were present at ground zero on September 11, when the dust cloud was heaviest, and the fourth worked near the site for almost two weeks following the attack. During this time, the responders were most likely exposed to a number of carcinogens, including benzene, which is believed to increase the risk for multiple myeloma. However, researchers discovered the three responders’ conditions three to four years after their exposure to such chemicals, when it is believed that patients develop multiple myeloma after 10 to 20 years.

The findings also underscore the importance of regular health examinations and maintaining surveillance for cancer, even for the younger population who are less at risk for multiple myeloma.

"Practitioners should be on the lookout for unusual disease patterns," added Dr. Moline. "Clinicians should be sensitized to patients coming in with unusual symptoms. They should think broadly."

For more information, please read the original study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (abstract ^[1]).