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After 4 cancer battles, Staten Island health leader calls for investigation into alarming rates
SILive.com • • health
Key Points:
- Dr. Anthony Ferreri, former CEO of Staten Island University Hospital and cancer survivor of four distinct types, is advocating for government investigation into Staten Island’s persistently highest cancer rates in New York City.
- Staten Island’s overall cancer rate is about 21% higher than the city average, with particularly high incidences of lung, breast, and colorectal cancers, especially near the former Fresh Kills Landfill area.
- Despite suspicions about environmental factors and the presence of many 9/11 first responders on the island, no comprehensive borough-wide study has been conducted to identify the causes of Staten Island’s elevated cancer rates.
- Local and state health departments have not committed to launching a thorough investigation, and Ferreri emphasizes that meaningful research would require substantial funding beyond local resources.
- Ferreri urges residents to adopt healthier lifestyles, utilize available cancer screenings, and maintain regular medical follow-up to detect cancers early, noting that early diagnosis was key to his own successful treatments.
