Medical technology that can detect a deadly form of cancer when it’s still in a precancerous stage is currently available to members of the Fort Worth Fire Department.
The screening, which uses the DNA test EsoGuard to detect esophageal precancer, started last week and runs through Wednesday.
Fort Worth Fire Department spokesperson Craig Trojacek said the exam isn’t mandatory, but they’re hoping to get around 200 firefighters through. As of around 11 a.m. Tuesday, 175 firefighters had completed the screening.
“We’re excited about it,” Trojacek said. “I think back when we first got on, if you would’ve put this stuff out there, I don’t think you would’ve gotten a response because back then, you just didn’t really talk about cancer in the fire service, especially in Fort Worth.”
The screening is hosted in conjunction with Lucid Diagnostics , the company that markets EsoGuard.
Firefighter Nick McDowell, who’s been with the Fort Worth Fire Department for 22 years, showed up Tuesday morning for the exam. He described the procedure as “not comfortable, but not bad,” and said it only took around two minutes.
“If you can catch it early, there’s preventative measures,” McDowell said. “I think that’s great.”
Cancer in general is the number one killer of firefighters, according to Lt. Troy Clark, a 27-year veteran of the Fort Worth Fire Department.
“Of all the dangerous things firefighters do — everything that can kill a firefighter — add all those together, and cancer kills more,” Clark said.
Studies have shown that firefighters have a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer than the general population. Firefighters are constantly exposed to carcinogens through their job, Clark said, and those dangerous chemicals can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled.
According to Clark, a “tough guy mentality” among firefighters has made some of them slow to acknowledge the risks. He thought he was invincible too, he said, until he was diagnosed with cancer in 2017.
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Clark said screenings like the EsoGuard are vital to firefighters and give them a chance to live longer.
According to Trojacek, around 12 to 18 Fort Worth firefighters report a cancer diagnosis every year.
When it comes to esophageal cancer, statistics show firefighters have a 62% higher risk of developing that form of cancer and a 39% higher risk of dying from it than the general population.
Lishan Aklog, the chief executive officer of Lucid Diagnostics, said many of the cancer screenings available, such as mammograms, involve early detection. EsoGuard is different in that it can detect precancerous cells before they develop into the disease. If caught at this stage, esophageal cancer can be prevented.
Esophageal cancer, even in it’s very early stages, is hard to treat, Aklog said. The disease only has around a 20% survival rate , and it’s estimated that 16,000 people will die of esophageal cancer in the United States this year.
“All of those (deaths) are preventable,” Aklog said.
The EsoGuard technology has been around since around 2020 . About a year and a half ago, a San Antonio physician involved in caring for firefighters became aware of the technology, and worked with Lucid Diagnostics to make it available for the firefighters in that city, Aklog said.
According to Aklog, the company recently tested its 4,000th firefighter.
“The idea that they’re ... exposing themselves to things that lead to an increased risk of cancer means they deserve everything we can offer them,” Aklog said.
EsoGuard is also available to the general population. Those who wish to be evaluated and have certain risk factors for esophageal cancer, such as chronic heartburn, can fill out an online questionnaire and connect with a physician online.
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