Dear Brother/Sister
Firefighters Disease and Cancer Registry – new initiative
Today is world cancer day and researchers at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) have launched a new nationwide database to assess the potential link between exposure to fire toxicants and the potential for increased occurrence of cancers and other diseases among firefighters.
The project, initiated and co-sponsored by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and clinicians working at the Royal Preston Hospital, will allow UCLan researchers to analyse data on a long-term basis. As part of this, they will track the number of cancer cases amongst firefighters over time, investigate possible causes of cancer and other diseases – such as exposure to fire toxicants – and evaluate the risk of different cancers among firefighters compared with the rest of the population.
The union is calling on every current and former UK firefighter suffering from a serious or chronic illness to add their name to the registry, to help save firefighters’ lives in the future.
Known as the UK Firefighters’ Cancer and Disease Registry (FCDR), the database will collect information on firefighters’ work routines, exposure to fire effluents, lifestyle and health. The main purpose of the UK Firefighters Cancer and Disease Registry (FCDR) is to develop a better understanding of the increased occurrence of cancers and diseases among firefighters and to identify the association between the firefighter occupation and exposure to fire toxicants.
Currently, the UK’s National Cancer Registry and Analysis Service is not able to provide any reliable data on the cancer incidence or mortality amongst firefighters.
We encourage all members (including those now retired) to complete this registry so we can identify and record cancer and disease, and improve monitoring of cancer incidents amongst firefighters.
The UK Firefighters Disease and Cancer Registry can be accessed here:https://bit.ly/FirefighterCancerRegistry.
All data is stored securely and anonymously, and firefighters can request that their data is withdrawn at any time.
Best wishes.
Yours in Unity
Matt Wrack
General Secretary
