A long-standing partnership between the Tucson Fire Department and researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences has provided evidence that occupational exposure as a firefighter can cause cancer.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), recently reclassified occupational exposure as a firefighter as carcinogenic, after reviewing scientific literature that showed sufficient evidence of an association with mesothelioma and bladder cancer, and limited evidence of an association with colon cancer, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, melanoma of the skin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The reclassification came after several new studies, including those led by the University of Arizona Health Sciences in collaboration with the Tucson Fire Department, supplied evidence of the link between occupational exposure and cancer in firefighters.
“The IARC, the foremost international body for cancer research, is saying that firefighting is definitely associated with cancer,” said Jeff Burgess, MD, PhD, professor in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and BIO5 Institute member. “This is a really important outcome that our research has helped to support, but it’s also just the beginning. Now it’s our job to work with the fire service to help find ways of preventing these increased numbers of cancers.”
New mechanistic studies also found consistent evidence that occupational exposure as a firefighter met five key characteristics of carcinogens, providing strong mechanistic support for the new classification. Several of these findings, specifically about epigenetic and receptor-mediated mechanisms of cancer, were from studies led by Dr. Burgess in collaboration with the Tucson Fire Department, an organization he has worked with for three decades.
Through this partnership with the University of Arizona Health Sciences and the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study, the Tucson Fire Department has become a national leader in firefighter cancer research. In particular, the department has identified interventions to reduce firefighter exposures and reduce cancer risk. These successful interventions are now being shared with other fire departments across the United States.
“I am so proud of the partnership with the University of Arizona Health Sciences and the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study,” said Darin Wallentine, retired deputy chief of safety and wellness for the Tucson Fire Department. “During my time with the Tucson Fire Department and the Safety and Wellness Division, the Tucson Fire Department became a national leader in firefighter cancer research. Being named as a co-author in groundbreaking firefighter occupational exposure studies is a tremendous honor and a rewarding career achievement.”
More than 15 million firefighters worldwide are exposed to a complex mixture of combustion products from fires, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, metals and particulates, diesel exhaust, and building materials such as asbestos. They are also exposed to other hazards such as heat stress, shift work, and ultraviolet and other radiation. The use of flame retardants in textiles and persistent organic pollutants including per- and polyfluorinated substances in firefighting foams has increased over time, further increasing the risks faced by firefighters.
“The research that supports this new IARC classification gives us new insights into the risks firefighters face on the job,” said Dr. Burgess. “It’s another example of how public health research can help us to better protect those who protect us.”