'presumptive occupational risk': firefighters are getting pancreatic cancer because of their job. so why aren't all provinces offering support?

“we all know that being a firefighter is a dangerous career, but my husband did not die firefighting,” reveals catherine mcbride, leslie mcbride’s widow.

pancreatic cancer not recognized as an occupational risk

according to data provided by the ontario cancer registry , the lifetime cost of pancreatic cancer, per patient, can run upwards of $30,000 in the region, but the province has yet to recognize pancreatic cancer as a presumptive occupational risk to firefighters. this leaves patients and their families with a responsibility to bear the financial burden of a disease they acquired through their profession. those who live in manitoba, yukon, nova scotia and british columbia — regions where pancreatic cancer is recognized as a presumptive risk to firefighters — are eligible for financial entitlements and support.

michelle capobianco, the chief executive officer of pancreatic cancer canada says that presumptive occupational risk is legislated by each province and too often, it turns into bureaucratic obstinacy. the risk, she says, doesn’t differ from province to province — in fact, the canadian cancer society estimates that 90 per cent of those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer don’t survive the disease, and geographic location is not a risk factor for the disease.

cancer is “number one killer” of firefighters

neil mcmillan, director of science and research at the international association of firefighters (iaff), says that cancer is the number one killer of firefighters and a growing body of research proves it.

according to a study by the university of the fraser valley , nearly 90 per cent of all firefighter workplace fatality claims that were submitted over a 12-year period — between 2006 and 2018 — were related to some form of cancer. age appears to dramatically increase disease risk, with the 65 and older group accounting for nearly half of the claims.

mcmillan hopes that in the future, biomarkers — a type of precision medicine used to help prevent, detect and treat cancer — may help trigger an “early warning system” for firefighters, before the disease develops. currently, there is no screening tool available to detect pancreatic cancer, and often times, the symptoms can be so vague and broad that may mimic other, less serious conditions. usually, by the time someone is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the disease has progressed to an advanced stage .

recently, iaff delegates voted unanimously in favour of a resolution to provide $500,000 annually toward occupational cancer research — a move that could open doors to disease breakthroughs in the future. the association, which represents more than 332,000 professional firefighters and paramedics in canada and the u.s., also provides support and resources to its members and invests in education so that those who choose to work within the profession can make informed decisions about their future.

“the tragedy exists for all those brave firefighters who, due to cancer, have answered their last call,” says mcmillan. “those who, well before their time, did not succumb to injuries at a fire they bravely ran in to, but died  from  the fires they ran in to.”