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Studies show that firefighters are at higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer. UT Health San Antonio has launched a firefighter prevention program to understand why.
UT Health San Antonio reports firefighters are at a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and 14% higher risk of dying from cancer.
More than 70 firefighters with the San Antonio Fire Department have been diagnosed with cancer in the past 10 years. They said many of the cases have gone unreported.
UT Health San Antonio partnered with Sylvester’s Firefighter Cancer Initiative at the University of Miami to launch a prevention program that aims to understand and reduce the burden of cancer.
The goal is to strengthen cancer prevention, education, and expert care for the community.
In a statement, Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research and associate director of community outreach and engagement at the Mays Cancer Center, explained that the program is active: “Our UT Health San Antonio team is already connecting with firefighters by sharing educational resources at SAFD health fairs.”
