Over 64,000 people receive a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer nationwide every year. While the most common causes of this disease are smoking and diabetes, when it comes to civilian and military firefighters, one of the major culprits behind pancreatic cancer is AFFF exposure. This is because the fire suppressant contains between 50% and 98% PFAS, a group of toxic chemicals. Exposure to PFAS was found to induce pancreatic acinar cell tumors in rodents, which are cancerous. Out of the PFAS group, there is one chemical that has a strong connection with pancreatic cancer – PFOA. Male rats exposed to it developed both cancerous and noncancerous tumors of the pancreas.
When a carcinogen enters the bloodstream, free radicals are formed, and their accumulation in the body generates oxidative stress. This process plays a major role in the development of cancer, including pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately, the prognosis of pancreatic cancer is very poor, as only 9% of patients with this disease survive for five years or longer following diagnosis. For this reason, civilian and military firefighters who used AFFF on the job should pay close attention to their health and seek medical assistance immediately if they notice the following symptoms:
When the culprit behind pancreatic cancer is AFFF exposure, the disease usually develops within 10 years. Still, this does not apply to everyone, as they might come to struggle with pancreatic cancer earlier or later. Multiple epidemiologic studies found that chemical carcinogens such as PFAS may induce pancreatic cancer in humans. Specifically, several chemicals, including PFOA and PFOS, have been demonstrated to induce carcinoma of the exocrine pancreas in experimental animals after systemic administration. If you are a civilian or military firefighter who worked with AFFF often and now have pancreatic cancer, do not hesitate to contact our team of experts, who will promptly evaluate your case to determine whether you are entitled to compensation.
Atraxia Law has over 35 years of experience in assessing toxic exposure and personal injury claims. If you are a civilian or military firefighter injured by AFFF exposure, you might be eligible to file a claim with the responsible manufacturers whose products you used. To have your case evaluated, all you have to do is send us your employment or military records and your medical records. If we deem you eligible, we will promptly put you in touch with a reliable attorney so you can have your claim filed immediately.