Cancer risk for firefighters highlighted
Saturday, 11 Nov 2006 12:03
Firefighters are valued members of society, the study says
Firefighters face a substantially greater risk of developing four types of cancer than do non-firefighters, scientists have claimed.
Researchers from the University of Cincinnati (UC), publishing their study into the relationship between firefighting and cancer risk in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, argue that exposure to a variety of carcinogens is the cause of the heightened risk.
Soot, diesel engine exhaust, formaldehyde and benzene are among the compounds responsible, the scientists say. As a result of exposure to these substances firefighters are claimed to be twice as likely to develop testicular cancer and are substantially more likely to develop non-Hodgkins lymphoma, prostate cancer and multiple myeloma.
"We believe there's a direct correlation between the chemical exposures firefighters experience on the job and their increased risk for cancer," Dr Grace LeMasters, one of the study's lead authors, commented.
She argues that because firefighters risk their lives on a daily basis and provide a vital public service, they should be furnished with better protective clothing to prevent the inhalation or absorption of carcinogens into the body.
"There's a critical and immediate need for additional protective equipment to help firefighters avoid inhalation and skin exposures to known and suspected occupational carcinogens," Dr James Lockey, co-author of the study, said.