Colorado Springs medical providers offering no-cost cancer screening for El Paso Co. firefighters

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The CommonSpirit Penrose and St. Francis Cancer Centers will be providing no-cost lung cancer screenings to select El Paso County firefighters, according to a press release.

A spokesperson with CommonSpirit Health says to qualify, firefighters must be active firefighters with 10 or more years of field experience in El Paso County. Additionally, they must not meet the eligibility criteria for lung cancer screenings on their own.

“Our firefighters bravely put their lives on the line every day to protect our community, often at the risk of their own health,” said Kristi Olson, president at Penrose Hospital, in a press release. “At CommonSpirit, our mission is to make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable. Given the increase in lung cancer risk among firefighters, we recognize them as an at-risk population deserving of our support.”

The American Cancer Society says that firefighters are exposed to a number of known carcinogens at work. These carcinogens are released as fires burn through toxic products. According to CommonSpirit Health, firefighters face up to a 60% higher incidence of lung cancer.

For more information, you can call the Penrose Hospital Cancer Center Lung Care Program at (719) 776-6997 or by emailing lungcareprogram@CommonSpirit.org

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