CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Over the next three days, at least 75 Chesapeake firefighters will get screened for esophageal cancer.
"Firefighters, unfortunately, are at a 62% higher risk of developing esophageal cancer, so our drive and our mission is really to provide early detection for these guys," said Jill Vaughn a clinical manager for Lucid Diagnostics.
The Professional Fire Fighters of Chesapeake IAFF Local 2449 is partnering with Lucid Diagnostics to offer the EsoGuard test. The EsoGuard test involves inserting a capsule attached to a thin tube through the mouth and the lower esophagus to collect cells. Those cells are sent to a lab and results come back in two to three weeks.
One of the first in line was Chief Sam Gulisano.
"This is an early test to identify that type of cancer in its infancy, so we can get our folks identified, if they're positive for it, they're identified early and get treatment early," he explained.
"Even if it does come back positive, it truly is you taking control of what your future could be so that you can be. So, it gives you the opportunity for you to do something about it," Vaughn said.
Chesapeake joins other cities in Hampton Roads in promoting safety. Fighting fires exposes crews to burning materials that release carcinogens in the air, making them targets for an increased cancer risk.
"Despite the advancements in our gear, despite the advancements in the equipment that we use in our apparatus, you're still having people contracting cancer, and that, for firefighters, spells a really big message that says hey we have to do something different from what we've been doing," Captain Anthony Barakat said.
So far, the test has been given to firefighters in Virginia Beach and Portsmouth.