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Some 2,518 ground zero workers and responders are now suffering from cancer, a massive jump from the 1,140 cases reported last year. Firefighters, cops, EMTs, sanitation workers, and volunteers from the World Trade Center site are all included in this tally. Many of the people suffering from ground zero-related diseases have filed claims with the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). Under the VCF agreement, a victim receives 10 percent of the awarded funds immediately and the rest two years later. For some patients suffering from short-term terminal illnesses, like a former New York Fire Department captain who developed lung cancer and was forced to retire in 2008 due to consistent wheezing, that’s an unacceptable delay. He received $1.5 million in compensation and said he “is grateful for it,” but added, “I just don’t understand why they’re making everyone wait two years. I’m hoping they rush more cases like mine, where we’re not expected to last long.”