Addressing Cervical Cancer in Female Firefighters

Details

• Personal Author:
  Solle N
• Description:
  Firefighters may be exposed to many known carcinogens, including volatile organic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during incident fire response, contact with turnout gear, and at the fire station. Recent exposure assessment and epidemiologic studies have documented differences in cancer rates between female and male U.S. firefighters, including overall cancer, Hodgkin disease, thyroid, and cervical cancer. Despite heightened concern that these exposures and behaviors of the fire service may increase cancer risk, few studies have examined the cancer prevention strategies pertinent to female firefighters. The primary objective of this study is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of home-based Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) self-sampling for cervical cancer screening among both unscreened/underscreened and regularly screened female firefighters in the United States. The implementation of a home-based HPV self-sampler was determined to be feasible based on the findings of our study. A total of 136/162 women returned the self-sampler, showing an 84% completion rate. Additionally, 100% of HPV specimens were adequate for PCR analysis. All samples were analyzed using PCR. Lastly, 100% of those with abnormal findings were recommended for follow-up care. All participants who completed the HPV self-sampler were invited to complete a follow-up questionnaire assessing the acceptance and usability of the self-sampler. A total of 125 (91.9%) women completed the follow-up survey. When surveying the participants, 99% reported finding the test easy to somewhat easy to use and 82% did not find the process unpleasant or disgusting. 96.8% would use the test again and 95.2% reported that they would recommend to a friend to use. Overall, 89.6% would prefer to perform the test at home compared to standard clinic, 77.7% noting convenience as the reason for home preference. As part of the study procedures, participants completed intake questionnaires completing questions related to their health history, cancer screening and risk behaviors. From the data, specific risk factors for cervical cancer were identified within the sample population. Nearly 4 percent of the sample reported never having a pap smear, 53% reported not receiving the HPV vaccine, 38% reported prior abnormal pap smears and 17.4% reported previous abnormal HPV results. Lastly, only 4% reported a history of a prior cancer diagnosis. When evaluating the participants behaviors, 20.3% reported a history of smoking in their past while 2.4% reported currently smoking. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Behavior Firefighters Occupational Health Safety Surveys And Questionnaires Viral Diseases Women
• Keywords:
  Cervical Cancer Fire Fighters Medical Screening Questionnaires Sampling Methods Viral Infections
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  Florida ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-16
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20068379
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, K01-OH-011273, 2022 Dec; :1-16
• Contact Point Address:
  Natasha Solle, PhD, University of Miami School of Medicine, 1320 S Dixie Highway, Coral Gables, FL 33146-2926
• Email:
  n.schaefer@umiami.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• NORA Priority Area:
  Public Safety
• Performing Organization:
  University of Miami School of Medicine
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20190930
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20220929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9269cff132403e5e87e40ede66a49de019aaa6e5ead8432a9374de704db58606e489409a44a46bbcd781b139941b485b8b4a1109c93444f15c9e3499ea85b812
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/219218/cdc_219218_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.12 MB ]