Issue 

Firefighters have a 9% higher risk

of developing cancer and a 14%

higher risk of dying from cancer

compared to the general public. 

Prior the 2022 Summit, the World

Health Organization’s International

Agency for Research on Cancer

(IARC) rated a firefighter’s

occupational exposure at its

highest level, a “Class 1 threat

carcinogenic to humans1.” The

IARC Working Group cited other

findings, including “sufficient

evidence” to connect the

occupational exposures associated

with firefighting with

mesothelioma and bladder cancer.

They also found “limited evidence”

to link firefighting and colon,

prostate, and testicular cancer. 

IARC’s designation is a gamechanging opportunity to further

consolidate hard-won gains in

research and knowledge into

profound impacts. 

2023 | U.S. Fire Administrator’s Summit on Fire Prevention and Control 

Firefighter 

Cancer

Impact Areas

Research

More investment in research is needed to expand our

understanding of the mechanisms between occupational

exposures and cancer, including why firefighters are at

heightened risk from some cancers. Research is also

needed to understand better the cancer risks of understudied populations,

including women and

people of color. 

In 2018, Congress

funded the creation of

the National Firefighter

Registry (NFR) for Cancer.

The registry is open to all firefighters and is the largest

effort to date to investigate and reduce cancer risk in

U.S. firefighters. The registry is a critical pathway to

addressing cancer risk, and all firefighters are

encouraged to register2. 

Access to cancer screenings

Preventative screenings can identify cancer in its 

earliest stages when positive treatment outcomes are

more likely. Nevertheless, it remains difficult for

individual firefighters to receive early screenings as

current screening guidance does not account for their

occupational exposures. Revised screening guidance can

help medical professionals and insurance companies

understand the need to screen firefighters based on

their higher cancer risk.

Establish a comprehensive firefighter cancer strategy that invests in research, provides access

to cancer screening for firefighters, and reduces and eliminates PFAS exposure.
2023 | U.S. Fire Administrator’s Summit on Fire Prevention and Control 

Reduce and eliminate PFAS and other toxicant exposures

PFAS and other toxicants disrupt an individual’s fundamental physiology, leading to wide-ranging

negative health impacts for firefighters, including cancer and heart disease as well as sleep and

reproduction issues. 

PFAS are carcinogenic chemicals that degrade

very slowly, earning the label “forever

chemicals.” PFAS are found in a firefighter’s

blood, their firehouses, some firefighting

foams, and perhaps most concerning, bunker

gear3. Next-generation PFAS-free PPE, along

with science and risk-based mitigation

programs, can lessen these risks.

______________________________

1 International Agency for Research on Cancer. Volume 132: Occupational exposure as a firefighter. Lyon, France; June 7–14, 2022.

2 About the NFR. Centers for Disease Control. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/firefighters/registry/aboutnfr.html

3 Researchers Pin Down PFAS Prevalence in Firefighter Gear. NIST. May 2023. https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2023/05/researchers-pindown-pfas-prevalence-firefighter-gear

More 

Information4

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