Tucson Standard

Firefighters may face an increased risk of prostate cancer due to occupational chemical exposures, according to recent research from the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and the University of Michigan. This study was conducted in collaboration with fire service partners and researchers nationwide through the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among U.S. males, and firefighters are diagnosed at a rate 1.21 times higher than the general population. This heightened risk may be linked to exposure to chemicals such as smoke and firefighting foam.

Certain chemicals can influence gene expression through epigenetic modification, which includes DNA methylation—a factor contributing to cancer development. Researchers found that experienced firefighters exhibited different epigenetic modifications compared to new firefighters in regions associated with prostate cancer.

"With these published findings, we have clear evidence of the health risks that firefighters face due to cumulative exposure on the job," stated Dr. Jeff Burgess, director of the Center for Firefighter Health Collaborative Research and professor at the UArizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

The study titled "Firefighting, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and DNA methylation of genes associated with prostate cancer risk" was published in Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis.

Dr. Burgess collaborated with lead author Margaret Quaid and researcher Jackie Goodrich from the University of Michigan, who led gene methylation analysis. The study revealed that experienced firefighters had distinct epigenetic modifications at chromosome 8q24—a genomic area linked to prostate cancer risk—compared to new firefighters.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), used in firefighting foam as well as household items like nonstick pans, are one class of chemicals associated with these modifications. The team also examined whether PFAS exposure was connected to epigenetic changes.

Findings indicated similar PFAS exposure levels among new and experienced firefighters across many departments; however, branched perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure was linked to epigenetic modifications.

"This study demonstrates the power of the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study to combine data across grants – in this case awards from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 2014, 2015 and 2018 – to more powerfully evaluate questions from the fire service, this time around exposures and increased prostate cancer risk," Burgess said.

Co-authors from Zuckerman College include toxicologist Shawn Beitel, research program administrative officer Sally Littau, John Gulotta, Darin Wallentine from Tucson Fire Department, along with contributors from various institutions including University of Miami, Rutgers University, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health at CDC, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Orange County Fire Authority, and Fire Protection Research Foundation.

This research received support from several organizations including National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences under award nos. P30ES006694 and P30ES017885; Federal Emergency Management Agency under award nos. EMW-2014-FP-00200, EMW-2015-FP-00213 and EMW-2018-FP-00086; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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