Cancer is no stranger to any of us, our families, or our friends. Unfortunately, cancer really does not like firefighters. Here is some information that has been obtained from firerightercancersupport.org.
Cancer caused 66 percent of career firefighter line-of-duty deaths from 2002-2019, according to data from the International Associations of Firefighters (IAFF). Heart diseas caused 18 percent of LODDs for the same period.
Cancer caused 70 percent of line-of-duty deaths for career firefighters in 2016
Firefighters have a 9 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14 percent higher risk of dying from cancer than the general US population, according to research done by the CDC/National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH).
In 2013, NIOSH researchers reported a two-fold excess of malignant mesothelioma, a very rare cancer. Put another way, firefighters have a 100 percent increased risk (100 percent = double = 2 times) of getting mesothelioma. Firefighters have a 129 percent increased risk of dying from mesothelioma. A 2006 meta-analysis by Grace LeMasters of 32 firefighter cancer studies noted a two-fold excess for testicular cancer. Firefighters have a 62 percent higher risk of getting esophageal cancer, and they have a 39 percent increased risk of dying from esophageal cancer, according to the NIOSH research.
Here’s an overview with some specific additional risks for firefighters noted:
Testicular cancer – 2.02 times the risk (again: 100% = double = 2 times);
Mesothelioma – 2.0 times greater risk;
Multiple myeloma -1.53 times greater risk;
Nn-Hodgkin’s lymphoma – 1.51 times greater risk;
Skin cancer – 1.39 times greater risk;
Malignant melanoma – 1.31 times greater risk;
Brain cancer -1.31 times greater risk;
Prostate cancer – 1.28 times greater risk;
Colon cancer -1.21 times great risk; and
Leukemia – 1.14 times greater risk.