Australian firefighters had higher melanoma, prostate cancer risk than public

Firefighters in Australia were found to have an increased risk of melanoma and prostate cancer compared with the general public, according to the results of a recently published study.

Researchers from Monash University conducted the study of 232,871 current and previously serving firefighters. The study was commissioned by the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC), and was the first large-scale study of firefighters’ cancer and causes of death in Australian paid and volunteer firefighters, according to a press release from the university.

When compared with the general public, cancer incidence was elevated by about 10% for male full-time and part-time firefighters, and increases in overall incidence were due primarily to increases in prostate cancer and melanoma. There was also an increase in male breast cancer, but to a lesser degree, according to a separate press release from the AFAC.

In firefighters who had served more than 20 years, the elevation of certain cancers was particularly noticeable; however, internal analyses found no trend of overall cancer incidence with duration of service, according to the Monash press release.

“In particular, we found that paid firefighters were at greater risk of melanoma and prostate cancer, especially after multiple exposures or prolonged service,” lead researcher, Deborah Glass, OBE, said in the release. “We also found that volunteers, as a whole, do not appear to have significantly elevated risks of cancer as a result of their firefighting role; however, further analysis may need to be completed for those volunteers who have attended a very high number of fires.”

Reference: www.afac.com.au; monash.edu.au.