Manchester-based firefighters to take part in lifesaving cancer monitoring programme

A new cancer monitoring system is set to be launched as part of a UK-wide research project commissioned by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and firefighters based up north have leapt at the opportunity to be involved.

100 Manchester-based firefighters have given permission to provide blood and urine samples to researchers at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in a bid to monitor the harms toxins from flames are causing to their health. 

Dave Russell, Chief Fire Officer for Greater Manchester said the new project is a ‘significant step forward for firefighter safety’.

The samples will be analysed for the number of biomarkers of cancers and other diseases, and toxic chemicals. News of the launch of the scheme comes as recent research has uncovered that instances of cancer among UK firefighters aged between 35 and 39 are up to 323% higher than in the general population in the same age category.

Research also found that firefighters were significantly more likely to die from rare cancers, heart attacks and strokes.

Results will be used to detect cancers and other diseases at the early stages and to identify evidence linking occupational cancers with exposure to toxic fire chemicals.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is working with the FBU and UCLan to facilitate the testing.

Riccardo la Torre, FBU National Officer, said: ‘We launched the first firefighter health monitoring project of its kind in the UK in February and are proud to now be testing even more firefighters.

‘The government and fire service employers have ignored firefighters and their exposures to toxic contaminants for far too long.’

Additionally, Professor Anna Stec from UCLan, said it was ‘widely accepted that firefighters are dying from rare cancers up to 15-20 years earlier than the general public.

‘It is therefore vital that measures such as health monitoring is introduced so firefighters can be properly protected.’

Image: Jay Heike