[Cancer risk in firefighters]

Abstract

Introduction: the International Agency for Research on Cancer included the occupational and environmental exposure of firefighters, in the list of carcinogens for humans.

Material and methods: A scoping review of the available literature on the risk of cancer in firefighters was carried out.

Results: It has been documented that firefighters are potentially exposed, in all types of fire emergencies, to a variety of toxic and carcinogenic substances. In several meta-analyses and systematic reviews, associations were found between firefighting and some types of cancer.

Conclusions: Identifying associations between firefighters' occupational exposures and cancer risk is a challenging task mainly due to the multifactorial origin of cancer. The best way to reduce exposure is to implement preventative measures.