Fernie woman diagnosed with 9/11-linked cancer 25 years later
Patti Sonntag, a student volunteer at Ground Zero, developed retroperitoneal liposarcoma certified by the World Trade Center Health Program.
KEY POINTS
- Patti Sonntag volunteered at Ground Zero on 9/11 as a student
- Diagnosed with retroperitoneal liposarcoma in December, 25 years later
- World Trade Center Health Program certified cancer as 9/11-related
- Symptoms began in 2011; 15-year diagnostic journey followed
- Underwent compartmentectomy removing tumour from pelvis to navel
Patti Sonntag, originally from Fernie, British Columbia, was a university student in New York on September 11, 2001. She volunteered at Ground Zero, assisting medical teams and emergency services at a temporary hospital set up at Chelsea Piers.
More than two decades later, Sonntag was officially diagnosed in December with retroperitoneal liposarcoma, a rare, slow-growing cancer. The World Trade Center Health Program certified her illness as related to toxic dust exposure at the World Trade Center site.
“"The best doctors in New York did not find this cancer."”
Sonntag said her first identifiable symptoms began in 2011, starting a 15-year struggle with mysterious ailments including chronic pain and difficulty sleeping and eating. She stated that top doctors in New York failed to detect the cancer for years.
Following diagnosis, she underwent an invasive compartmentectomy to remove a tumour extending from her pelvis to her navel. The cancer had spread to several internal organs, the left psoas muscle, and other tissues.
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