Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cell in the blood and is an incurable disease, but symptoms can be treated.

Herbert would not return phone calls Thursday to clarify how many first responders have been diagnosed, or who they are, and whether their disease is considered mild or advanced.

Dr Ben Luft, who heads an affiliated programme at Stony Brook University Medical Center where more than 3,000 first responders are also being monitored, said he does not consider the number of cancers detected so far to be alarming.

We’re seeing patients who are sporadically developing a variety of cancers, but it is not significantly above what we would have expected in a group of patients of this size,” he said. “Some of these malignancies are little bit atypical, which makes us want to examine them a little bit more closely.

“But when you are following such a large number of patients one would expect to see some who are developing cancer. What is most important is for us to say scientifically that there is a causal relationship,” Luft said, referring to World Trade Center debris and cancer.

“The only way we can really deal with it effectively is to be as rational and scientific as possible.”
Delthia Ricks (LAT-WP)