Cancer Not Officially Linked to 9/11 Says Report, Local Told Otherwise

When a pre-cancerous polyp was discovered on Bernard Lombardi’s colon, he was lucky on two accounts: the growth was caught in time, and he had insurance coverage through NYPD that paid for its removal.

But others like Lombardi, who grew up in Bayside, and worked at the World Trade Center site following 9/11, may not be as lucky. A new scientific finding means that medical costs of cancer cannot be expensed to the federal government under the Zadroga Bill, which covers other 9/11 related health problems

A panel that reviewed medical cases on ground zero decided existing data is insufficient to add cancer to the list of 9/11 related illnesses.

But that isn’t what Lombardi was told by his doctors, and it isn’t what who succumbed to an by cancer believe.

“I think this is the greatest country on earth,” said Lombardi, who helped remove deadened cars from the site in 12-hour shifts intermittently between Sept. 11, 2001, and Columbus Day.

“Anybody should be covered, whether you’re a civilian a civil servant or whatever,” he said, pointing out the density of the population below Canal Street, who may have breathed in toxins.

“Anybody who lives there, I really feel should be covered,” he added.

Editor's Note: Bernard Lombardi is the father of Patch Contributor Adam Lombardi. Patch thanks him for his service to the city, and wishes him enduring health.