Project 466644

Research indicates that firefighters are at greater risk of developing and dying of cancer than the general population. In Canada, many cancers are designated presumptive illnesses for firefighters, which provides financial support for individuals in the event of a diagnosis, and facilitates health education in general. As a profession, firefighting is heavily dominated by men; only 4.4% of professional firefighters in Canada are women. Thus, the vast majority of cancer research on firefighters only studies men. However, there may be links between firefighting and female-specific reproductive cancers, including breast cancer. Furthermore, even for non-reproductive cancers, it is known that ones sex and gender influence cancer risk and development. In addition, women in the Fire Services face many obstacles, such as ill-fitting protective gear, which could increase their risk of exposure to carcinogens. Unfortunately, women firefighters cancer risks remain unknown, and this lack of data may be putting them at a disadvantage when it comes to health education and coverage. For my M.Sc. in Epidemiology at McGill, I will examine cancer incidence and mortality rates in Canadian women who are professional firefighters. Using data from the Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohorts, I will analyze past cancer data from women who are, or were, professional firefighters as determined by linked occupational data from census and tax information. I will conduct a retrospective cohort analysis via logistic regression to compare professional women firefighters with women in the general Canadian population. This research will provide information that can be used to inform health policy and to promote health and employment equity.