Podcast Shines Light on firefighters’ Elevated Cancer Risk,Driven by University of Miami Research
MIAMI,FL – A new podcast is amplifying โcritical research revealing theโ disproportionately high cancer risk faced by firefighters due to on-the-job toxic exposures. The โinitiative,spearheaded by the Sylvesterโ Firefighter Cancer Initiative โฃatโ Sylvester comprehensive Cancer Center,part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine,aims to translate scientific findings into actionable strategies for protecting those who protect communities.
Leaders of the initiative, Alberto Caban-Martinez, D.O.,โข Ph.D., M.P.H., and Erin Kobetz, โขPh.D., M.P.H., areโ working to break down the โscience โคbehind the increased risk and advocate for cultural and behavioral โchanges within fire departments. Research from the Sylvester Firefighter Cancer โInitiative demonstrates that smoke, soot, and other residue carried on firefighters’ gear and skinโ contain chemicals known to cause cancer.”Without knowing the โขexact mechanism, we knew that the soot on โtheir turnout โgear and on their โperson could contribute to risk,” saeid โขDr. Kobetz,โข vice president for health โคpromotion and โchief wellbeing officer, the John K. and โคJudy H. Schulte Senior Endowed โchair in cancer research and associateโ director for community outreach and engagement at Sylvester. “That was enough โคto say, ‘We need toโข change culture. We need to โchangeโ behavior.'”
The collaborative, firefighter-driven research has already begun to yield โขtangible results, โฃtransforming โฃresearch into practical solutions. Dr. โCaban-Martinez, deputy director of theโข Sylvester Firefighter Cancer Initiative โฃand professor of publicโฃ health sciences โคat the Miller โSchool,โ emphasized the long-term goal. “Our main outcome is to tryโฃ to reduce cancer risk,” he said. “We’ll never be able to โฃget risk โขdown toโ zero, but you better beleive we’re going to work reallyโ hard to get โฃit down.”
The โpodcast serves as a platformโค to disseminate these findings and foster a broader understanding of the challenges firefighters face, ultimately โฃworking towards a saferโ future for those serving on the frontโ lines.