VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach Fire Department is adding an extra layer of protection to keep their firefighters healthy.
According to the Fire Cancer Support Network, firefighters have a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14% higher risk of dying from it.
Health
Chesapeake Fire Dept. offers multi-cancer early detection test for firefighters
The VBFD is offering all firefighters the chance to detect cancer with a simple blood draw.
The department is joining forces with, Grail, a company that created Galleri, which is a test that detects cancer.
While firefighters are on duty, they can be exposed to carcinogens that usually stick to their gear or skin which leads to cancer.
The senior advisor for the company, Dr. Whitney Jones, MD., says it is important to detect early.
"You can detect cancer before it's metastatic. You have a significant chance of improving the patient's survival and overall quality of life. I really like to find cancer in the earlier stages, stages 1 and 2 where the 5-year survival is ninety percent," said Jones.
Doctors say right now, VBFD is in the process of scheduling screenings annually for firefighters.
To support the Firefighter Cancer Network and its efforts to advocate for firefighters, click here.
