Mesothelioma Risk in Canadian Firefighters and Police
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Mesothelioma Risk in Canadian Firefighters and Police

ByHolly Zink

Firefighters and police usually work in high-stress, complex environments. And, these environments often have known and suspected hazardous and toxic exposures. A leading cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. Asbestos is toxic and cancer-causing for human beings. Asbestos causes mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Canadian researchers published a new study in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. This new report characterizes cancer incidence among these occupations. Firefighters vs. Police The Canadian team used an Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS) to identify workers. Then they compared compensation claims to the Ontario Cancer Registry. They found 36,267 people employed as firefighters or police in Ontario. In the final analysis, there were a total of 13,642 firefighters and 22,595 police. When compared with other workers,…

Bill Will Support Firefighters with Mesothelioma
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Bill Will Support Firefighters with Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A New Hampshire legislator is pushing to fund a mandate that would help support firefighters who contract malignant mesothelioma. A U.S. Fire Administration/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study of nearly 30,000 firefighters released last October found that firefighters are diagnosed with mesothelioma at twice the rate of the general public. This is believed to be due to their inadvertent on-the-job exposure to asbestos, the cause of mesothelioma. According to the report, “Given that asbestos is the only known causal agent for malignant mesothelioma, and firefighter exposures are probable, the excess is likely to be a causal association.” A group called the Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire has worked with State Representative Laura Pantelokas, D-Portsmouth, to introduce…

Study Confirms Firefighters at Elevated Risk for Mesothelioma
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Study Confirms Firefighters at Elevated Risk for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A 5-year National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study of U.S. firefighters is the first to confirm what has long been suspected: Firefighters are definitely at higher risk for malignant mesothelioma. The study examined the mortality patterns and cancer incidence (including mesothelioma) among 30,000 firefighters in three major cities. The study subjects were all career firefighters who started their careers after 1950 and were followed through 2009. In order to get a diverse sample of firefighters from across the country, the study focused on firefighters from San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia. Comparing firefighters to a sampling of the general public, the study looked at 92 causes of death and 41 cancer incidence groupings, with a focus on 15…

9/11 Committee Recommends Mesothelioma Coverage
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9/11 Committee Recommends Mesothelioma Coverage

ByAlex Strauss

Firefighters and first responders at risk ofmesothelioma because of 9/11 may finally be getting some help from the federal government. The World Trade Center Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee has added a list of cancers – including mesothelioma – to the list of illnesses they feel should be covered by the Zadroga Act.  Passed by Congress in 2010, the Zadroga Act provides $4.3 billion to monitor, treat and compensate people affected by the 9/11 attacks. Although cancer was not on the original list of illnesses covered by the act, a number of scientific studies on emerging health effects convinced the Advisory Committee that it should be.  Even before first responders began getting sick, a Mount Sinai School of Medicine analysis of…

9/11 Firefighters Could Get Help for Mesothelioma
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9/11 Firefighters Could Get Help for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

New York Firefighters who develop mesotheliomaand other cancers in the wake of the 9/11 attacks may be a step closer to receiving federal health benefits to cover their illnesses, thanks to a new study. A decade after the World Trade Center bombings, the study has found that firefighters who responded are 19 percent more likely to get cancer of all types than the general population.  The study published this week in The Lancet is the first to look specifically at cancer rates among those exposed to the toxic dust and smoke. An earlier study conducted at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and published in Environmental Health Perspectives used air analysis to confirm that the air in and around the site was…

Firefighters Want Lifetime Monitoring for Mesothelioma
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Firefighters Want Lifetime Monitoring for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A group of firefighters in Washington State may pave the way for better protection of others who are at risk of mesothelioma cancer. The firefighters in Everett, Washington were exposed to asbestos, a known carcinogen, during training exercises in city-owned homes in 2007.  Because it was a training exercise, the firefighters were not wearing the type of gear that would normally protect them from deadly asbestos fibers and health risks like mesothelioma.  Now, they are asking their city to pay to have doctors monitor them for mesothelioma throughout their lives, or face a possible lawsuit. According to the Everett online news source, HeraldNet, dozens of firefighters and their families are asking for $9 million from the city to provide lifetime monitoring for…