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🔥 Esophageal Pre-Cancer / Cancer Screening 🔥The Onondaga County Fire Chiefs Association in conjunction with the Onondaga County Fire Coalition (Onondaga County Volunteer Firefighter’s Association - OCVFA, Onondaga County Fire Police Association, Central Region Fire Districts) and Believe 31 are sponsoring a two day ESO-Guard Esophageal Pre-Cancer / Cancer Screening.
This screening will take place at the Onondaga County Department of Emergency Management Office located at 420 Electronics Parkway from 12:00-8:00 pm on April 30th and May 1st (those registered for this screen, will use the south side training entrance, not the front door).
Those wishing to be screened, must complete the required registration paperwork prior (NO EXCEPTIONS)
Risk Factor Questionnaire attached to determine eligibility for screening (Need to meet any combination of 3 out of the 8 risk factors to qualify for screening)
Sign up for your esophageal screening appointment below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4FACA922ABF8CF8-55721185-esoguard
EsoGuard Esophageal pre-cancer/cancer screening
If you meet Risk Factor criteria, please review the available time slots below and click on the button to sign up. Please bring your driver's license and medical insurance card to your appointment.
There is no out-of-pocket cost for EsoGuard screening but your insurance will be billed. You are not responsible/liable for any portion not covered by insurance, up to and including the total cost of the test if your insurance denies coverage.
No food or drink for 2 hours before your appointment time. You may have small sips of water leading up to your testing time if needed.
www.signupgenius.com
Please bring your Drivers license and insurance card
Individuals need to be 2 hours NPO, no food or liquid for 2 hours prior to testing.
WHY:
Firefighters have a 62% greater risk of developing Esophageal Adenocarcinoma (EAC) and a 39% higher likelihood or dying from EAC. This is substantiated in multiple clinical papers and frequently referenced by the Firefighter Cancer Support Network.
Firefighters/first responders have a 39% increased risk of dying from esophageal cancer according to the NIOSH research.
There is nothing “nice” about cancer, however the “nice” thing about EAC is that it has an established, diagnosable pre-cancerous condition called Barrett’s Esophagus (BE).
EsoGuard can identify BE with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity, starting with methylation changes that occur during the earliest cellular changes all the way through to EAC. The goal is to find pre-cancer and effectively treat it with ablation therapies so that it never turns into cancer. EsoGuard provides a binary “yes or no” result, and patients with a positive result should go on for confirmatory upper endoscopy.
**EsoGuard is not an annual screening…it is better to do it one time than never at all. If someone’s risk factor profile changes in the next 5-10 years, the screening can be repeated.**
WHO:
EsoGuard is not a population screening test. The American Gastroenterological Association has defined 7 risk factors to qualify for screening and there is an additional 8th risk factor specific to occupational exposure to firefighters that has been established and substantiated by published NIOSH data. If any combination of 3 or more of the 8 risk factors listed below are met, the individual is eligible for screening.
Male gender
Caucasian race
Age 50+
Heartburn/Reflux/GERD
Obesity, BMI 30+
Smoking, past or present history
Family history of BE or EAC
Firefighter, occupational exposure – 10+ years (volunteer or career)
We always extend an invitation for retirees to participate in screening. Retirees are an important population to screen because they have extensive occupational exposure, often with equipment that was inferior to the safety standards that exist today AND the age-related risk factor.
We have hosted nearly 200+ screening events nationally in the past 18 months and successfully screened 9,000+ firefighters and first responders. We have received a lot of positive media around these events, and we are in the process of developing case studies about specific firefighters that were tested, were found to have dysplastic disease, and went on for an intervention to effectively prevent cancer.
Cancer is the most dangerous threat to firefighters’ health and safety today.
Firefighters have a 9 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14 percent higher risk of dying from cancer than the general U.S. population, according to research by the CDC/National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH).
The 2013 Daniels NIOSH study is the largest study of U.S. firefighters to date. It examined mortality patterns and cancer incidence for 30,000 firefighters. The NIOSH study, which began in 2010, found statistically significant mortality and incidence rates of all cancers and cancer of the esophagus, intestine, lung, kidney, and oral cavity, as well as increased mesothelioma for firefighters compared with the general population.
Occupational Cancer caused 65% of the career firefighter line-of-duty deaths from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2021 according to data from the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).
Cancer caused 70 percent of the line-of-duty deaths for career firefighters in 2016.
Firefighters have an overall 9% greater risk of developing cancer (any type) but a staggering 62% greater risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma. Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has increased in incidence over 500% in the past 40 years. EAC is a lethal cancer – average time from diagnosis to death is 13 months, 5-year survival rate is 20%, and it is the 7th leading cause of cancer death in men – but it is PREVENTABLE through screening. There is nothing “nice” about cancer, however the “silver lining” about EAC is that it has an established, diagnosable pre-cancerous condition called Barrett’s Esophagus (BE).
EsoGuard can identify BE with a high degree of accuracy. If pre-cancer is found, it can be effectively treated with FDA-approved endoscopic eradication therapy so that it never turns into cancer.
Esophageal pre-cancer/cancer screening is NOT an annual screening. It is better to be screened just one time than never at all.
There are only 2 ways to be screened for esophageal pre-cancer – EsoGuard or an upper endoscopy.
The cost of screening for pre-cancer/cancer is nominal compared to the cost of treating cancer. The average 1-year cost of treating EAC can exceed $1M in claims
Together, we can prevent avoidable esophageal cancer deaths through screening:
Matt Gallina was a 48-year-old firefighter in Virginia Beach that died 13 months after his EAC diagnosis. Matt had no symptoms until his cancer was detected.
https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/virginia-beach/virginia-beach-firefighter-dies-after-fight-with-occupational-cancer/291-33ee88ee-8095-4d4d-80f4-206d438a7d63
Shawn Calvey was a 37-year-old firefighter in Cleveland that died 14 months after his EAC diagnosis. Shawn was a picture of health until his diagnosis.
https://www.cleveland19.com/2024/08/06/cleveland-firefighter-who-died-occupational-cancer-laid-rest/
Every cancer death is a tragedy. Unfortunately, not all cancers can be prevented. But the fastest growing, 2nd deadliest cancer – esophageal adenocarcinoma - can be PREVENTED through screening.
WHY ESOGUARD IS A NICE ADJUNCT SCREENING TO OTHER SCREENINGS YOU HAVE DONE:
There are many cancer screening options on the market but there are only 2 ways to identify esophageal pre-cancer (Barrett’s Esophagus) – EsoGuard or an upper endoscopy. The limiting factor with upper endoscopy is that it requires time off from work, sedation/anesthesia, higher cost, and may not be covered by insurance depending on risk factor presentation.
For example, a white, male, firefighter with 10+ years of service would not be clinically indicated on those risk factors alone for an upper endoscopy, whereas this individual would qualify for EsoGuard screening. 40% of all esophageal adenocarcinoma diagnoses occur in non-GERD patients.
EsoGuard is an office-based screening that typically takes about 2 minutes and does not require sedation/anesthesia, allowing firefighters/first responders to be quickly tested while on duty and then return to work without any restrictions.
REAL LIFE STORY:
We are in the process of putting together a firefighter case study but until it's officially published, I can give you a preview. There was a firefighter screened at one of our events in Mississippi – white, male, 10+ years as a firefighter – no other risk factors, no symptoms. He came back with a positive EsoGuard test, had a confirmatory upper endoscopy by a local gastroenterologist, and was diagnosed with High Grade Dysplasia (HGD).
HGD is the phase of Barrett’s Esophagus (pre-cancer) right before it turns into Esophageal Adenocarcinoma. About 40% of patients with HGD progress to cancer within 12 months. This is one of many stories we have from the ~9,000+firefighters we have screened nationally. This truly is a life saved!
In the event you have any additional questions, you can reach out to the following contact:
JUSTIN C. STENTA
Sr. Market Development Manager– US East
Lucid Diagnostics
M: 607-237-3771
E: [email protected]
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
420 Electronics Pkwy, Liverpool, NY 13088-6029, United States
