In June the World Health Organization (WHO), International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) met and reviewed firefighting as a carcinogenic agent. Based on a thorough review of the current evidence, the Working Group designated Firefighting as an occupation as cariogenic to humans (Group 1). Specifically, the Working Group found that there is sufficient evidence that occupation as a firefighter causes mesothelioma and cancer of the bladder.  Suggestive evidence was found for melanoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and cancers of the colon, prostate, and testis. (So, for these cancers there is accumulating evidence, but it is not yet as definitive as for bladder and mesothelioma.)  

Importantly, these findings apply to all firefighters. The IARC Working Group defined ‘occupation as a firefighter’ very broadly - including any type (such as structure or wildland) of career or volunteer who have prepared for and taken part in fire control activities.    

The IARC designation will help us focus our cancer research and prevention efforts!