Allentown firefighters are now eligible to receive annual blood tests that screen for evidence of over 50 cancers, officials announced at a Thursday news conference at the Allentown Fire Academy.<\/p>\n
Via a partnership with Lehigh Valley Health Network and a new provision in their union contract, city firefighters will receive the Galleri blood test, developed by U.S. biotechnology company Grail, as part of their annual physicals.<\/p>\n
The blood test does not diagnose cancer, but detects early signs that can help diagnose the disease earlier, leading to a better long-term prognosis, according to Grail.<\/p>\n
Cancer is the No. 1 cause of line-of-duty deaths among firefighters, who are 9% more likely than the general population to be diagnosed with cancer and 14% more likely to die from the disease, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/a><\/p>\n Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said the city\u2019s offer of enhanced cancer screenings shows its commitment to keeping employees safe and healthy.<\/p>\n \u201cWe recognize how important our city employees are to deliver your work, and we want to make sure that when they get in the door every day, that we are caring for them in every way that we can,\u201d Tuerk said. \u201cSo that when they leave work for the day, or when they end their career at the city of Allentown, they are going home to the people that they love healthy, and that we are showing up for the people who show up for us every day.\u201d<\/p>\n Firefighters face increased cancer risks because fires can create toxic mixtures of carcinogenic gas and particulate matter that they absorb via their lungs or their skin. Skin cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer and testicular cancer are among the most common cancers they are diagnosed with, although other types can also be service-connected.<\/p>\n