Cancer remains the primary culprit behind numerous fatalities globally...
Hear This: The Top Killer Among Firefighters Has Changed
Firefighting isn't just about tackling flames anymore; it's a battle against an insidious foe - cancer. Surprisingly, cancer has now become the leading cause of death among firefighters. They're 9% more likely to develop the disease, and a staggering 14% more likely to die from it than the average Joe. Here's the deal on this heartbreaking statistic and how we can take action.
Slow Burn
The culprit? Occupational exposure to carcinogens. During fires, firefighters get constant contact with harmful substances like benzene, diesel exhaust, and combustion byproducts. These toxins are known cancer-causers that increase the risk of various cancers.
But wait, there's more. Firefighters often face metabolic dysfunction, marked by conditions like obesity, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance. This combination can boost the risk of developing cancers like breast, colorectal, endometrial, gastric, liver, and pancreatic cancers, and even increase the risk of dying from digestive tract cancers by as much as 90%.
Time to Fight Back
So, how do we stop this fire?
- Know Your Enemy: Improve personal protective equipment (PPE) and protect yourself during operations to reduce exposure to carcinogens.
- Clean Up: Implement decontamination protocols after incidents to remove carcinogenic substances from your skin and equipment.
- Stay Fit: Encourage high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness with regular exercise. This boosts hormone regulation, reduces inflammation, and strengthens the immune system, all of which help protect against cancer.
- Eat Right and Live Well: Promote healthy diets and lifestyles to mitigate the effects of metabolic dysfunction and reduce cancer risk.
- Stay Informed: Regular health screenings can help identify and manage risks early. Education on cancer risks and preventive strategies can empower firefighters to stay safe.
Let's take the heat off this issue and ensure a healthier future for our brave firefighters.
- Firefighters' constant exposure to carcinogens like benzene, diesel exhaust, and combustion byproducts during fires, known cancer-causers, increases their risk of developing various medical-conditions such as breast, colorectal, endometrial, gastric, liver, pancreatic, and even digestive tract cances.
- To combat this, firefighters can implement strategies such as improving personal protective equipment (PPE), implementing decontamination protocols after incidents, encouraging high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness with regular exercise, promoting healthy diets and lifestyles, and undergoing regular health screenings to stay informed about their health-and-wellness and manage risks early.
