Op-Ed: Firefighters face elevated cancer risk – Congress just took a critical step
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, April 22, 2026
AJ Johnson
Two out of three firefighter deaths in the U.S. are related to cancer. This is why I was encouraged to see Congress earlier this year pass the Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act, which was quickly signed into law. The MCED Act was supported by eight out of ten of our Washington congressional delegation members, and both Senators Murray and Cantwell. Like many people who ultimately get diagnosed with cancer, firefighters don’t always seek treatment until they are noticeably ill – and diagnoses often arrive too late to take action. I’ve lost too many friends to late-stage diagnoses that we wish had been detected earlier.
We know that survival rates are higher when cancers are caught in earlier stages – in fact nearly 50% of cancer deaths are from cancers found at Stage IV. Now that Congress has acted, more Americans will have the opportunity to access broader-based cancer screening options once they become FDA approved.
A recent, large-scale randomized control trial of MCED tests showed promising results, particularly for some of the deadliest cancers. The study showed a more than twenty percent reduction in the most advanced cancers (stage IV), a substantial increase in the number of stage I and II cancers detected, and a fourfold increase in types of cancers detected in patients who took a multi-cancer screening test in addition to the standard of care screenings. This is all an incredible testament to the power of multi-cancer testing and the importance of continuing to analyze how new cancer screenings perform at scale in our communities.
Cancer’s unique impact on firefighters has fueled our commitment to advocacy for access to these types of tools. Last August, firefighters met with Congressman Rick Larsen in Everett to discuss the legislation, which he cosponsored, and conveyed how cancer uniquely impacts firefighters. Repeated exposure to hazardous materials and environments in burning industrial and residential buildings puts firefighters at an increased risk for many cancers. This is primarily the result of airborne chemical particles that accumulate at dangerous levels throughout the body over time. Firefighters shared that cancer is estimated to have caused sixty six percent of the line-of-duty deaths from 2002 to 2019, and that the firefighters have a fourteen percent higher risk of dying from cancer than the general U.S. population.
The Congressman made it clear that the MCED Act was a critical step towards equitable access to cancer detection and care for Washingtonians. The Washington delegation’s prioritization of legislation that protects first responders demonstrates a thorough understanding of their health priorities and was instrumental in the passage of the MCED Act.
Now that Congress has passed the MCED Screening Coverage Act, we’re one step closer to ensuring broader access to life-saving early cancer detection. We’re grateful for many of our Washington congressional delegation members, like Congressman Larsen, for being consistent leaders on this issue over a multi-year effort to get the bill signed into law. There’s more work to do to ensure cancer screening rates improve across Washington communities but thank you to our policymakers for taking one big step in the right direction.
AJ Johnson is the Legislative Liaison for the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters and a Captain for South Snohomish County Fire and Rescue.
