Firefighters face higher brain cancer risk due to chemical exposure

A new study by the University of California has revealed that firefighters have a higher risk of developing brain cancer due to gene mutations caused by chemical exposure. The research, conducted on 35 participants with different occupational histories, shows that gene mutations provoked by exposure to certain chemicals can lead to the formation of glioma, the most common malignant type of brain tumor. These mutations appear more frequently in firefighters than in people with other jobs. That is because they are linked to exposure to haloalkanes, present in flame retardants, fire extinguishants, and other products used in firefighting operations. According to senior researcher Elizabeth B. Claus, a professor at the Yale University School of Public Health and neurosurgeon at Mass General Brigham, the mutational pattern or “signature” was more likely in study participants who had been firefighters for many years than in those in other lines of business, except car painters and machine maintenance operators. These occupations also involve exposure to haloalkanes. She added that the study provides preliminary data but will need confirmation through further research.