WHO Reclassifies Firefighting as High-Risk Occupation for Cancer

The World Health Organization has reclassified firefighting to its highest level of occupational risk for cancer after extensive research confirmed an alarming level of malignant mesothelioma incidence. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of WHO, found that firefighters had a 58% higher risk than the general population of developing mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. These findings led to the occupation being reclassified recently as “carcinogenic to humans,” earning it Group 1 status for cancer risk and confirming what many already believed. “This really is a tragic moment – knowing for sure now that we’ve been working in such hazardous conditions,” said Canadian firefighter Alex Forrest, the only nonmedical, nonscientist on the IARC Working Group panel that submitted the report to WHO. “But this is also a historic moment, because we cannot fix a problem until we all agree that the problem exists.” 8 Countries Represented in IARC Study Prior to this recent report, first published online by Lancet Oncology June 30, firefighting was classified in Group 2B as “possibly carcinogenic.” “I had to take off my firefighter helmet and put on my medical community hat to do what I could to convince the working group to change the classification,” said Forrest, who believes the formal consensus will make it a safer profession. In addition to Forrest, IARC’s research involved 24 scien...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Asbestos Exposure Mesothelioma Source Type: news