A program to screen Manchester firefighters for cancer has already saved a life.Manchester Fire Marshal Peter Lennon said that if it weren’t for the program, he might not have been diagnosed until it was too late. Lennon has spent his entire career in the fire service, working in Manchester for 17 years. As fire marshal, he has a busy, unpredictable schedule, and feeling tired wasn’t unusual. But recently, it was getting the best of him.”I had a lot of fatigue, and there were some other minor symptoms,” Lennon said. “I knew something was off, but I didn’t know if it was just because of my age.”It wasn’t his age.”My wife was with me when I was diagnosed,” Lennon said. “It was obviously unexpected.”Lennon had colon cancer.>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<“It was a lot of what-ifs, and that was the hardest part, trying to get everything in order, because they really truly didn’t know until they got in there what was going to happen,” he said.Lennon had surgery in October and returned to work five weeks after his diagnosis.”It was very tough on my family,” he said. “We’re very fortunate, and I’m very lucky I am here.”Lennon credits a new pilot program in the city. In partnership with Dartmouth Health and Anthem Blue Cross, the Manchester Fire Department started offering free firefighter cancer screenings earlier this year.”We’re trying to identify the population that’s the most at risk, because when detected early, these cancers are curative,” Dr. Todd Noce, of Dartmouth Health, said.According to the International Association of Fire Fighters, cancer is now the leading cause of death among firefighters and accounts for more than 65% of line-of-duty deaths each year.”Many states are starting to screen because of this increased risk, so we decided to collaborate on a program that would best serve to help these guys out,” Noce said.Doctors said early detection is key. Lennon is now cancer-free.”I feel good,” he said. “I feel, actually, the best I’ve felt in a while.”Lennon said he hopes the pilot program gets picked up statewide to support the men and women who are risking their safety to protect others. “There are a lot of people working every day who could be having the same symptoms I had and don’t have the means to get screened,” Lennon said. “This will definitely save lives.”About 10% of Manchester firefighters who were screened were referred to Dartmouth or their own primary care for follow-ups. While some of those appointments haven’t happened yet, Lennon is the only one who was diagnosed with cancer so far.
A program to screen Manchester firefighters for cancer has already saved a life.
Manchester Fire Marshal Peter Lennon said that if it weren’t for the program, he might not have been diagnosed until it was too late.
Lennon has spent his entire career in the fire service, working in Manchester for 17 years. As fire marshal, he has a busy, unpredictable schedule, and feeling tired wasn’t unusual. But recently, it was getting the best of him.
“I had a lot of fatigue, and there were some other minor symptoms,” Lennon said. “I knew something was off, but I didn’t know if it was just because of my age.”
It wasn’t his age.
“My wife was with me when I was diagnosed,” Lennon said. “It was obviously unexpected.”
Lennon had colon cancer.
>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<
“It was a lot of what-ifs, and that was the hardest part, trying to get everything in order, because they really truly didn’t know until they got in there what was going to happen,” he said.
Lennon had surgery in October and returned to work five weeks after his diagnosis.
“It was very tough on my family,” he said. “We’re very fortunate, and I’m very lucky I am here.”
Lennon credits a new pilot program in the city. In partnership with Dartmouth Health and Anthem Blue Cross, the Manchester Fire Department started offering free firefighter cancer screenings earlier this year.
“We’re trying to identify the population that’s the most at risk, because when detected early, these cancers are curative,” Dr. Todd Noce, of Dartmouth Health, said.
According to the International Association of Fire Fighters, cancer is now the leading cause of death among firefighters and accounts for more than 65% of line-of-duty deaths each year.
“Many states are starting to screen because of this increased risk, so we decided to collaborate on a program that would best serve to help these guys out,” Noce said.
Doctors said early detection is key. Lennon is now cancer-free.
“I feel good,” he said. “I feel, actually, the best I’ve felt in a while.”
Lennon said he hopes the pilot program gets picked up statewide to support the men and women who are risking their safety to protect others.
“There are a lot of people working every day who could be having the same symptoms I had and don’t have the means to get screened,” Lennon said. “This will definitely save lives.”
About 10% of Manchester firefighters who were screened were referred to Dartmouth or their own primary care for follow-ups. While some of those appointments haven’t happened yet, Lennon is the only one who was diagnosed with cancer so far.
Source link
credite