(Photo: Chatham firefighters breathe into surgical masks as part of a new cancer screening program. The masks were sent to CancerDogs, a program in Canada that uses trained dogs to sniff out cancer cells captured in the masks. COURTESY PHOTO)

(Photo: Chatham firefighters breathe into surgical masks as part of a new cancer screening program. The masks were sent to CancerDogs, a program in Canada that uses trained dogs to sniff out cancer cells captured in the masks. COURTESY PHOTO)

By: Tim Wood
From The Cape Cod Chronicle

CHATHAM – Firefighting can be a dangerous business. But aside from the obvious risk of bodily harm, there’s another, more insidious risk that firefighters face: cancer.

According to a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health study, 68 percent of firefighters are expected to develop cancer, compared to 22 percent of the general population. It’s not just the smoke that firefighters are subjected to that puts them at risk, said Chatham Fire Department EMS Coordinator Mark Heller, but the toxic material within that smoke from all the synthetics that surround us in our homes as well as chemicals sprayed on fires.

“This has been popping up all over the country,” he said. “A lot of things we’ve done for years in the fire service hurt us.”

Breathing apparatus and other protective equipment is much better these days, and so is the awareness of the health risks. Currently, the Chatham department tests its members every three years for bladder cancer, one of the most common cancers found in firefighters. The department has also joined a trial program that uses trained dogs to screen for cancer.

CancerDogs, based in Gatineau, Quebec, currently works with more than 50 fire departments in cities across the U.S., including Chicago, Dallas and Fort Worth; Chatham is the first on the Cape, said Heller. The program uses a simple inexpensive test: for 10 minutes firefighters breathe into surgical masks, which are then sent to CancerDogs, where specially trained dogs sniff them to find those that contain cancer cells. The screening kits cost $20 each and are being paid for by the Chatham Fire Association, said Heller.

The dogs can detect approximately 30 types of cancer. If one of the dogs indicates a positive hit, another kit is sent out for a second sample. If that sample is positive, it is recommended that the firefighter see a doctor and begin ruling out common non-malignant forms of cancer, such as non-melanoma skin cancer, before moving on more specific tests, such as the Oncoblot test, which can provide early detection for specific cancers.

According to the CancerDogs website, 60 to 70 percent of the positive samples detected by the dogs result in positives through other testing methods. The 30 to 40 percent false positives are commonly the result of pre-cancerous conditions, according to the website. Out of 100 people tested, the dogs will find about 25 positives; of those, a quarter will test positive for skin cancer or pre-cancer, 32 percent will test negative and 44 percent – 12 to 17 people – will show positives in subsequent testing.

All 26 members of the Chatham department did their first round of CancerDog screening a few weeks ago, and there were no positive results, said Heller, who read about the program online and called to request to join the trial. It’s short money for peace of mind, he said.

“It’s keeping people safe,” he said. “We’re trying to stay ahead of the curve.” The screening will be conducted every two years, he added.

The CancerDogs program began collecting breath samples from patients diagnosed with different forms of cancer but not yet treated in 2009, and started training dogs a year later, according to spokesperson Glenn Ferguson. Cancer cells grow rapidly, and therefore produce energy – and waste – at a higher level than other cells, a process called hyper-metabolism. The metabolic waste products from cancer cells show up as an odor in a person’s exhaled breath that can be detected by the trained dogs.

CancerDogs is a general cancer screening process, its website cautions, detecting cancer in general, not specific types. Abnormal or pre-cancerous cells that are also hyper-metabolic, including infectious diseases, can also trigger a positive detection.

“It’s a scent like any other scent,” Heller noted. “The dogs can be trained to detect it.”

Ferguson stressed that the program is a trial and is not yet government approved or sanctioned.

Heller said the department is also taking other steps to promote wellness and keep firefighters safe at the scene of fires and other emergencies. A policy is under development requiring that at certain incidents, one person will be assigned to do rehab, making sure that firefighters are hydrated and take rest breaks. The Fire Association is also purchasing equipment including portable shelters, folding chairs, heating and cooling aids, and coolers and decontamination supplies to facilitate this process.

The recent heart attack death of a Watertown firefighter at the scene of a blaze illustrates the need to monitor the health of personnel during incidents, Heller said.

“You just have to take a break,” he said. “This all comes under the umbrella of we’ve got to take care of ourselves.”