A recently FDA-approved, minimally invasive test is helping firefighters find cancer early.
Fumes from burning batteries, appliances and plastics - the recent Los Angeles fires unleashed a host of hazardous waste.
"You're taking in those chemicals through your airway, which is obviously where your esophagus is," said Fire Chief Adam Loeser with the Fullerton Fire Department.
One study finds firefighters have a 62% higher risk of developing esophageal cancer compared to the general population.
Loeser and the rest of the Fullerton Fire Department are taking part in a new type of screening at Providence St. Jude Medical Center. It's much easier than an endoscopy which is the traditional way of screening.
"We have a simple way of doing it rather than going through sedation and rather than losing a day after endoscopy," said Dr. Sajen Mathews, a gastroenterologist with Providence St. Jude Medical Center.
He's offering firefighters a test called EsoGuard. A balloon collects DNA along the lining of the esophagus.
"Esophagus cancer is silent until you have symptoms. When you have symptoms, you have difficulty swallowing, vomiting blood, then anemia, and then it's too late," he said.
The miniature capsule is attached to a thin tube. It's about the size of a vitamin supplement. It's easy to swallow and the whole test takes about 90 seconds.
"And it goes down through your throat. A little balloon is inflated. It's retracted out your throat where the sample is collected and that's it," said Loeser.
The sample is sent to a lab to be examined for precancerous cells.
Doctors diagnose esophageal cancer in about 22,000 Americans every year. The 5-year survival rate is less than 20%.
Other risk factors include family history, acid reflux, being a smoker and high alcohol consumption.
Loeser said firefighters face many occupational hazards, so screenings like this are essential for the health of his department and the people he serves.
"I wanna make sure my folks are taken care of. I wanna make sure that they're healthy and they have all the tools to be successful so they can serve the community for an entire career," said Loeser.