Opinion
Video
Sima Porten, MD, on the increased risk of bladder cancer among firefighters
Author(s):
"There is evidence for a direct link between the exposures you get by doing your job as a firefighter and then developing cancer down the road," says Sima P. Porten, MD, MPH.
Firefighters face an increased risk of bladder cancer compared with the general population. In 2022, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified firefighting as a class 1 carcinogen, which included “sufficient” evidence for a link in bladder cancer.1 The group also found “limited” evidence for a link in prostate, testicular, and colon cancers.
In a recent interview with Urology Times®, Sima P. Porten, MD, MPH, outlines what is currently known about the link between firefighting and how it should influence screening practices. Porten is an associate professor of urology at the University of California, San Francisco.
Specifically, Porten outlines the known hazards that increase the risk of bladder cancer among firefighters, including smoke inhalation, combustion byproducts, and chemicals from volatile organic compounds.
According to Porten, “There should be greater awareness that this is an occupation that now has actually been defined by a more larger governing agency as something to watch out for.” However, there is still limited knowledge on how this awareness should influence screening practices for patients with this occupational exposure. Porten acknowledged that this is an area of active investigation.
REFERENCE
1. Demers PA, DeMarini DM, Fent KW, et al. Carcinogenicity of occupational exposure as a firefighter. Lancet Oncol. 2022;23(8):985-986. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(22)00390-4
