The study was published in the scientific journal ‘International Journal of Epidemiology’ and included a 36-year follow-up on cancer outcomes starting from 1982, involving more than 470,000 individuals. This group included a significant number of firefighters who were not diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of the study, according to ‘Medical Xpress’.
The results showed a noticeable increase in the rates of skin cancer by 72%, kidney cancer by 39%, lung cancer by 8%, prostate cancer by 14%, and colon cancer by 15% among firefighters compared to other participants.
It was also noted that the increase in lung cancer cases was particularly evident among those who had worked in the profession for 30 years or more. Teras emphasized in statements to ‘HealthDay’ that these results are consistent with previous research linking the nature of firefighting work to increased cancer risks, calling for enhanced preventive measures to reduce these risks.
