Cancer is the No. 1 threat to firefighters.
Firefighters face a 14% higher risk of cancer than the general population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, while data from the International Association of Fire Fighters indicates cancer causes roughly two-thirds of on-duty firefighter deaths.
Amid this sobering reality, it is critical that firefighters know this: Early detection saves lives.
The truth is that many cancers are treatable. Most people who are diagnosed with cancer survive. But delayed diagnosis makes treatment much more difficult. For some cancers that firefighters may develop, such as renal and brain cancer, late-stage survival rates are grim.
That’s the driving force behind our initiative, and why we urge all firefighters in Utah to heed this call: When your turn comes, get screened.
Your community needs you. Your crew needs you. Your children need you.
Don’t wait until it’s too late.
Common cancers in firefighters
In Utah, a 2025 state law classifies 15 forms of cancer as “presumptive” in firefighters — meaning that, absent extenuating circumstances, the cancers are attributed to line-of-duty exposures:
- Bladder
- Brain
- Colorectal
- Esophageal
- Kidney
- Leukemias
- Lung
- Lymphomas
- Melanomas
- Mesotheliomas
- Oropharynx
- Ovarian
- Prostate
- Testicular
- Thyroid
The list of cancers builds on a previous law and is based on a 2024 systematic review from the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health that examined the link between firefighting and cancer by analyzing the evidence across 40 existing peer-reviewed studies.
However, there is much that remains unknown. There is a significant need for further research to more precisely determine firefighters’ risk levels for these cancers, and whether additional cancers result from the exposures firefighters face. The Utah Firefighter Cancer Initiative is committed to addressing this knowledge gap by conducting our own high-quality research on this topic.
Do the risks warrant leaving (or not entering) firefighting?
The cancer risks associated with firefighting should be taken seriously. However, it is also critical to put them into context. As a comparison, while firefighters are 14% more likely than the general population to develop cancer, smokers are 2,500% more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers, according to the CDC. It is also important to understand that there are health hazards in all occupations, ranging from increased cardiovascular disease risks in sedentary office workers to exposure to dangerous chemicals in the construction industry. What’s more, our initiative is proof that there is more being done than ever before to address the cancer risks in firefighters.
Firefighting is an essential, noble, and rewarding profession. It is the strong opinion of the Utah Firefighter Cancer Initiative that the cancer risks should not dissuade our sons and daughters who are passionate about serving their communities through firefighting.
Additional resources
For more information regarding cancer in firefighters, see: