Published Sep 11, 2023

What Happened To The 9/11 Cancer Victim From The High School Across From Ground Zero? A Thriving Career

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September 11 Survivors and Lingering Cancer Risks

Amit Friedlander, 39, was a senior class president at Stuyvesant High School, which was just a couple of blocks away from Ground Zero on the morning of September 11, 2001. He returned to the school weeks after the attacks when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) falsely claimed the air was safe.
He attributes lingering toxins in the air to a Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis he received a couple of years later. The EPA later admitted the air around Ground Zero was not safe just three days after the attack.
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.

Amit Friedlander, 39, was just 22 years old when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. However, he attributes his diagnosis to the tragic events 22 years ago on September 11, 2001. He is among thousands of people in and around Ground Zero on that horrific day that dealt with lingering health effects many years later.

Amit Friedlander was a student attending Stuyvesant High School, which was just a couple of blocks away from Ground Zero on September 11, 2001. He was later diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.

“It just made sense,” Friedlander told SurvivorNet in an interview about the onset of his cancer diagnosis.

“Just thinking back, and remembered, oh, 9/11 – carcinogenic debris – lots of rescue workers who had more exposure than I had and were also developing blood cancers,” he continued.

Friedlander, who still calls New York City home according to his LinkedIn account, was a senior at Stuyvesant High School when tragedy struck. The elite public high school was just a couple of blocks away from Ground Zero. Although in the immediate days after the attacks, the school and other buildings in the area were closed, a couple of weeks later, Friedlander returned to school after the Environmental Protection Agency deemed the air quality safe on Sept. 13, 2001, CBS News reports.

However, years later the department head eventually admitted the agency got it wrong and apologized to people affected. However, the damage was already done.

“Whatever we got wrong, we should acknowledge, and people should be helped,” Christine Todd Whitman, who was the head of the EPA at the time, told the Guardian.

WATCH: Understanding lingering cancer risks from September 11th.

“In hindsight, I think my cancer is probably 9/11-related, and now that I know that, if I could go back in time, maybe I wouldn’t have gone back to school,” he told CBS News.

By the time he got to college in the mid-2000s, he said he started getting sick more often. He then got more clarity about what he was feeling.

“I found out that I had cancer,” he said.

As he connected the dots, he attributed his diagnosis to the debris and toxins in the air that hovered around Ground Zero for weeks after the attacks.

“I think a lot of the health issues seemed more of a long-term thing. So I don’t think it matters where you live,” he said.

While details on Friedlander’s battle with Hodgkin lymphoma are not fully known, he told the New York Times, that he reached remission. However, he also told the outlet he had Parkinson’s disease.

Sept. 11th Continues to Plague Survivors

The 9/11 attacks exposed an estimated 490,000 people to a load of cancer-causing toxins that is impossible to quantify.

“There was the explosion, the collapse, and the enormous release of material,” says Crane. “Plus, you had ongoing fires for months. The dust cloud passed, but the air stayed dusty for days. No one will ever know what we inhaled.”

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.

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.

Friedland’s Health Journey In the Wake of the Attacks

According to the National Institutes of Health, Parkinson’s disease is a “brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements” which include shaking and difficulty with balance and coordination.

When someone is diagnosed with lymphoma, that means they are dealing with a cancer of the immune system. There are more than 40 different types of lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma are two sub-categories with the latter being more common.

The type of white blood cells linked to the disease determines the distinction. If doctors are unable to detect the Reed-Sternberg cell, a giant cell derived from B lymphocytes then it is categorized as Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

According to the National Cancer Institute, Hodgkin Lymphoma “most frequently presents in lymph node groups above the diaphragm and/or in mediastinal lymph nodes.”

WATCH: Understanding lymphoma symptoms.

“The patients who are diagnosed with lymphoma early, typically it’s luck,” Dr. Chong says. They may have had symptoms that made their doctor check them, or the cancer showed up on a scan or blood test that was done for another reason.

Also, watch out for lymphoma symptoms. The most common ones are:

Swollen glands in your neck, armpit, or groin
Fever
Chills
Night sweats
Weight loss without trying
Feeling tired
Swelling in your belly

Understanding Cancer-Causing Chemicals in the Environment

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?

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is the name given to six minerals that occur naturally in the environment that are resistant to heat, fire, and chemicals and that do not conduct electricity, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Asbestos has been classified as a known carcinogen, meaning it causes cancer, by three organizations:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
International Agency for Research on Cancer

It was widely used in commercial products in the U.S. until the 1970s when reports linked it to cancers.

Asbestos has been used in products including insulation for pipes, floor tiles, building materials, and in vehicle brakes and clutches, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

When people are exposed to asbestos, the fibers in the air can be inhaled or swallowed.

Low levels of asbestos are present in the air, water, and soil, but at these low levels, most people do not become sick from their exposure.

Still, the EPA warns people to avoid the area where asbestos may be released, such as with a plant fire, and avoid touching any debris from accidents like this.

However, the dangers from asbestos greatly increase for people who are exposed for longer periods of time and regularly, according to the National Cancer Institute. That can happen by performing a job that works directly with the material or through substantial environmental contact.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

If you find yourself struggling with a diagnosis or helping a loved one cope with their emotions, consider asking your doctor the following questions: