According to a team of researchers at the University of California at San Francisco, the risk of being diagnosed with bladder cancer is higher among firefighters. The research team is suggesting that firefighters undergo annual exams for the disease.
The study examined 1 286 firefighters and found that 93 of them had blood in their urine (hematuria). Six others were tested for this type of cancer using the biomarker, nuclear matrix protein NMP-22, and two cases of bladder cancer were detected.
While the rate of bladder cancer is currently 36 in every 100 000 people, the risk is higher among firefighters, particularly due to their exposure to chemicals and smoke.