Firefighters at High Risk for Cancer
A recent study has shown that fierfighters are more likely to develop many types of cancer, specifically testicular, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prostate, and myeloma, when compared to cancer rates among the general population. Experts recommended that firefighters should take precautions when fighting fires, particularly if they’ve removed their protective gear or breathing apparatus, as exposure to carcinogenic toxins occur around (but not necessarily in) the fire area.
The study, which will appear in the November issue of Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, used existing data from over 110,000 firefighters and 32 previous studies to analyze rates of 20 different cancers. Experts concluded that long term exposure to carcinogens such as benzene, diesel exhaust, chloroform, soot, styrene, and formaldehyde - chemicals that can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin - caused a significant increase in risk.
Notably, the risk of testicular cancer increased 100% for firefighters, with multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma both having a 50% increase in risk, and a 28% increase in risk for prostate cancer.