Distinct Prostate Cancer Survival Outcomes in Firefighters: A Population-Based Study

TL;DR

Firefighters in Florida with prostate cancer have better five-year survival rates than the general population, likely due to earlier detection and more frequent surgeries.

Contribution

The study is the first to analyze prostate cancer survival outcomes specifically among US firefighters using population-based data.

Findings

Firefighters had a 96.1% five-year survival rate compared to 94.2% in the general population.

Firefighters were diagnosed at younger ages and had more localized cancers.

Older firefighters with advanced-stage cancer had a higher risk of death than the general population.

Abstract

Prostate cancer survival among US firefighters, who undergo regular medical check-ups and have unique exposures, has not been well-studied. Using population-based Florida cancer registry data, this retrospective study compared 1058 firefighter prostate cancer cases to patients with prostate cancer in the general population, finding significantly better five-year survival (96.1% vs. 94.2%) in firefighters. Firefighters were diagnosed earlier, had more localized cancers, and underwent surgery more often. However, older firefighters with regional or distant-stage cancer faced a higher risk of death. Enhanced survival in firefighters may be due to increased PSA testing, but further research is needed to understand factors influencing aggressive disease development and the impact of surgical treatments on their quality of life.

Introduction: Survival outcomes for prostate cancer among specific occupational groups prone to regular medical check-ups vis-à-vis the general population have been understudied. For firefighters, a demographic subject to rigorous medical evaluations, possessing above-average medical expertise, and exposed to specific carcinogens of interest, prostate cancer survival in the US has never been studied. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study, utilizing data from the Florida Cancer Data System spanning 2004 to 2014, coupled with firefighter certification records from the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office. Our study cohort consisted of 1058 prostate cancer cases among firefighters as well as prostate cases for the Florida general population (n = 150,623). We compared cause-specific survival between the two using Cox regression models adjusted for demographics and clinical characteristics, including PSA levels, Gleason scores, and treatment modalities. Results: Firefighters demonstrated a higher five-year cause-specific survival rate (96.1%, 95% CI: 94.7–97.1%) than the general population (94.2%, 95%CI: 94.1–94.3%). Overall, firefighters’ diagnoses were established at younger ages (median age 63 vs. 67 in the general population), exhibited a higher proportion of localized stage cancers (84.7% vs. 81.1%), and had a greater utilization of surgery (46.4% vs. 37.6%), a treatment modality with a high success rate but potential side effects. In multivariable analysis, firefighters displayed a survival advantage for localized stage (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.53; 95%CI: 0.34–0.82). However, for regional or distant stages, firefighters aged 65 and above exhibited a higher risk of death (aHR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.18–2.86) than the general population. Conclusion: Firefighters experience enhanced prostate cancer survival, primarily in cases diagnosed at localized stages, likely due to increased PSA testing. Nonetheless, for regional or distant stage, survival among older firefighters’ lags behind that of the general population. Further investigations are warranted to unravel factors influencing the development of aggressive disease beyond PSA and Gleason scores in this population, as well as to assess the impact of a higher rate of surgical treatment on firefighters’ quality of life.

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