Thanks to a federal grant and additional department funding, 200 Fort Worth firefighters have been screened for early signs of esophageal cancer.
Esoguard is a new rapid test that uses DNA to detect esophageal cancer and pre-cancerous cells.
Esoguard is a small gel capsule with a string attached and a syringe at the end. Once the firefighters swallow the capsule and it is down the esophagus, a nurse will inflate a tiny balloon from the capsule to scrape a cell sample. The balloon is then deflated, and the sample is pulled out through the firefighter’s mouth.
The test results will come back in two to three weeks.
“When this was something that was brought up that we could be a part of and volunteer to do, I signed up as quickly as I got the email to make sure that I could be one of those 200 to come down here and get this test,” said Craig Trojacek, public information officer for the Fort Worth Fire Department, per WFAA.
“It was uncomfortable, but it wasn’t painful,” said Trojacek. “It was pretty quick.”
The tests for the firefighters were funded by a federal grant. Due to the toxic fumes and smoke that firefighters are often exposed to, they are more likely to contract cancer than the general public. Cancer is a leading cause of death among firefighters, according to the CDC.
Dr. Lishan Aklog, CEO of Lucid Diagnostics, told WFAA that while most people do not get screened for esophageal cancer, it is one of the most fatal types.
“You normally would have to do this big endoscopy, cameras, x-rays, things like that,” Aklog told WFAA. Esoguard’s test only takes 30 seconds.
The goal of Esoguard is to detect esophageal cancer before it reaches Stage 1, increasing the likelihood of recovery.
According to WFAA, 12 to 18 Fort Worth firefighters are diagnosed with some form of cancer each year.
“I’ve seen my friends go through it,” Trojacek said. “I’ve buried my friends.”