Researchers found firefighters have a 100-percent higher risk of developing testicular cancer, a 50-
percent higher risk for multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and for prostate cancer it’s a
28-percent increased risk, compared with nonfirefighters.
A couple of things here. Clearly, firefighters are exposed to some bad stuff that increases health risks, but… jeez… non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prostate cancer and testicular cancer are extremely rare. For example, there are only about 35,000 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed each year. So, telling someone that their risk of developing prostate cancer has increased by 28% – while certainly not good news – is like telling someone that their odds of dying in a plane crash have doubled (from unbelievably improbable to slightly less unbelievably improbable). So, don’t get me wrong, none of this is good news for firefighters, but… a little perspective.
Now, what I’m curious about – please educate me here – is why firefighters and police officers tend to die so young. OK, yeah, the firefighters are exposed to smoke and chemicals over their careers, so it makes sense that would lead to a below-average life span (although more than a few years would surprise me – but I ain’t a professional). But what about cops? Most cops that I see in their 40s+ aren’t in particularly good shape. Is there something about the sedentary nature of being a cop that shortens their life spans? I can’t imagine why cops would die any younger on average than other folks. Interesting.
