FORT WORTH, Texas — Over the last two weeks, Fort Worth firefighters have been taking a few minutes out of their shift to screen for esophageal cancer using a new test.
"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.
Firefighters are more at risk to get cancer than the general population, and cancer is the number-one killer of firefighters.
Trojacek said this is funded by a federal grant in addition to the fire department. The goal is to detect esophageal cancer early, before it reaches Stage 1.
Lucid Diagnostics is performing the cancer screenings with a new scientific development called Esoguard. It is a gel capsule, about the size of a multivitamin, with a string attached and a syringe at the end of it.
The firefighter takes the capsule and sips water so that it travels down to the esophagus. Once it's all the way down, the nurse will inflate a tiny balloon from that capsule to scrape a cell sample. Within seconds, the balloon is sucked back in, and the sample is protected and pulled out.
It takes about two to three weeks for results to come back from the lab.
"It was uncomfortable, but it wasn't painful. It was pretty quick," said Trojacek.
Dr. Lishan Aklog, CEO of Lucid Diagnostics, said most people don't get screened for esophageal cancer even though it is one of the most fatal types of cancer. With Esoguard, they are able to test hundreds of firefighters due to the simplicity of the cell collection tool.
"You normally would have to do this big endoscopy, cameras, x-rays, things like that," he said.
With Esoguard, it only takes 30 seconds.
Esoguard detects esophageal cancer, but more importantly, it prevents it by detecting pre-cancerous cells so they can be treated early.
Each year, 12 to 18 Fort Worth firefighters are diagnosed with cancer.
"I've seen my friends go through it. I've buried my friends," Trojacek said.
He said he hopes this program is a step forward for cancer prevention among firefighters across the country.