9/11 cancer victims to have treatment funded

(CBS News) Monday's announcement that the government would add about 50 types of cancer to the list of 9/11-related illnesses that's health care costs would be covered has provided relief for what many are calling an overdue decision. But, the announcement also raised concerns over the amount of available funds for suffers and families.

Government to cover cancer health care costs for 9/11 responders and victims
Government will fund care for 50 types of cancers linked to 9/11 under Zadroga Act
60 Minutes: The Dust At Ground Zero

On the eve of the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, the National Institute for Occupational Safety (NIOSH) announced it would cover the cancer care for responders and other victims exposed to the toxic dust at ground zero who developed cancers including lung, breast colon, and leukemia and lymphoma. The program had previously only covered lung diseases, asthma and chronic cough along with mental health illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.

"The publication of this final rule marks an important step in the effort to provide needed treatment and care to 9/11 responders and survivors through the WTC Health Program," NIOSH director Dr. John Howard said in a statement to the Associated Press.

In June, officials at NIOSH had said in a filing that it favored a major expansion of the program, known as the Zadroga Act, to include people with the different cancer types that span 14 broad categories of the disease. The decision followed a March recommendation by an advisory committee made up of doctors, union officials and community health advocates, who recommended that cancer be added to the program. While a definitive link between the toxic exposure causing these cancers hasn't been definitely shown, the NIOSH committee said the dust contained about 70 known and possible carcinogens.

Firefighter Ray Pfeiffer, who had been saying for years that the hundreds of hours he worked at ground zero had something to do with his advanced kidney cancer, told the CBS Evening News that he welcomed the announcement.

"It's like a vindication saying 'hey listen, you know, we're recognized that we were down there that we did get sick from down there,'" Pfeiffer explained. "It's a little bit of a relief."

The compensation has been held up by a dispute over whether there was evidence of a direct link between the World Trade Center tragedy and cancer.