Researchers Seek Firefighters for Cancer Risk Data

(HealthDay) – A voluntary registry created by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) aims to raise awareness of the increased risk of certain cancers among firefighters.

It is seeking more than 1.1 million firefighters to participate in the National Firefighters Registry.

"Firefighters risk their lives to ensure our safety in an emergency, but their use could also expose them to long-term health effects, such as cancer," said Dr. John Howard, director of NIOSH, in a press release.

Firefighters have a higher probability of cancers of the digestive system, lung, throat and urine.

The registry will also highlight advances in the protection of firefighters, including improvements to the design and maintenance of personal protective equipment, as well as practices to reduce fire safety. Exposure to hazardous substances.

"We look forward to receiving official feedback from our fire service partners on how to make sure they are involved in this process as we move forward, and their contributions will be critical to the overall success of this process." register, "said Kenny Fent. , responsible for the program of the National Fire Registry.

Enrollment is expected to begin in 2020. The register focuses on minorities and women, who have not been well represented in previous research.

A NIOSH study launched in 2010 focused on more than 30,000 career firefighters in service between 1950 and 2010, the largest study ever conducted on US firefighters.

He examined not only cancer deaths, but also diagnoses of certain types of cancer, including testicular and prostate cancers, which have higher survival rates. He also examined other causes of death to better understand the risk of firefighters to the general public.

The results of this study led to a call for a national registry focused on under-researched firefighter groups, according to NIOSH.

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