LOS ANGELES — A new program aimed at detecting lung cancer early among Los Angeles firefighters is expanding after already screening more than 250 firefighters.
What You Need To Know
Firefighters have already been screened through a new free lung cancer screening program launched by RadNet in partnership with the Los Angeles Fire Department
The low-dose CT scan takes less than a minute and can help detect lung cancer and other lung diseases before symptoms develop
Firefighters face an elevated cancer risk due to repeated exposure to smoke, diesel exhaust, asbestos and other hazardous materials on the job
The program could eventually serve up to 2,000 firefighters as it continues to expand across the department
Medical imaging company RadNet has partnered with the Los Angeles Fire Department to provide complimentary low-dose CT lung cancer screenings for firefighters, a group health experts say faces an increased risk of cancer after years of exposure to smoke, diesel exhaust, asbestos and other hazardous materials encountered on the job.
“It is critical that we detect lung cancer early in its earliest stages when it’s most treatable,” said Dr. Dalia Artal, a radiologist with RadNet.
The screening itself is simple, requiring just one 30-second breath hold inside a CT scanner. There are no needles or invasive procedures.
According to Artal, the benefits extend beyond detecting lung cancer.
“Not only are they exposed to certain toxins and hazardous exposures that cause an increased risk for lung cancer, there’s also an increased risk for other types of lung diseases,” she said. “The screening test allows us to detect those.”
The program was launched in recognition of firefighters who responded to the Palisades Fire, but LAFD Battalion Chief Aaron Guggenheim said the health risks associated with the profession often don’t appear until years after the emergency is over.
“They can follow firefighters for decades,” Guggenheim said, adding that he has personally lost fellow firefighters to cancer and other work-related illnesses.
“We’ve sadly seen our mentors going through things that are results of what they were exposed to as firefighters — not just here at LAFD, but across the nation,” he added.
Firefighter cancer has become a growing concern nationwide.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, firefighters have a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer than the general U.S. population. The International Agency for Research on Cancer also classifies occupational exposure as a firefighter as carcinogenic to humans, citing evidence linking the profession to mesothelioma and bladder cancer.
LAFD officials say early detection is one of the best tools available to help protect firefighters from the long-term health effects of the job.
“We’re trying to take advantage of all the technology we can to facilitate early detection so we can have treatments,” Guggenheim said.
For Artal, the screening program is a way to give back to the firefighters who spend their careers protecting others.
“They protect us tirelessly, day and night, in the face of danger and harm,” she said. “This is the least that we can do to give back and help make sure that they stay healthy.”
The program is expected to expand to as many as 2,000 members of the LAFD.