VPR: Leveraging Registry Data for World Trade Center Studies

Since inviting the next round of investigators to utilize NAACCR’s Virtual Pooled Registry Cancer Linkage System (VPR-CLS), six studies have submitted a Phase I linkage request. Three of these studies focus on the impact of the World Trade Center terrorist attack on 9/11. These studies are as follows:

1. Maintenance of Cohorts for Studying Cancer and Mortality after Occupational/Environmental Exposures (Principal Investigator: Rachel Zeig-Owens, Fire Department of New York City).
2. Cancer Incidence and Cancer Mortality in the World Trade Center Health Registry (Principal Investigator: James Cone, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene).
3. Cancer in World Trade Center General Responders Participating in the CDC/NIOSH WTC Health Program (Principal Investigator: Andrew Todd, WTC Health Program General Responders Data Center at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai).

Using the VPR to link with cancer registry data will allow improved ability to analyze the cancer risks associated with 9/11 exposures as summarized by one of the investigators in their Phase I linkage request:

“The terrorist attack at the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001 (9/11) resulted in the combustion of over 90,000 liters of jet fuel, a dense and intensely toxic atmospheric plume, the collapse of three buildings that day, and dust containing unprecedented volumes of pulverized cement, glass, and building contents. Tens of thousands of rescue/recovery workers – including members of the FDNY – and hundreds of thousands of residents and workers were exposed to this mix of toxins, irritants, and known or suspected carcinogens.”

To all the VPR-participating registries, thank you for your ongoing collaboration and commitment to utilizing your high quality and complete data for the greater good and scientific advancement!

To learn more about the VPR visit https://www.naaccr.org/about-vpr-cls/.