EDGEWOOD, Ky. — A new pilot program at St. Elizabeth Healthcare is offering specialized lung cancer screening for firefighters, addressing the hidden dangers they face long after the flames are extinguished.
We were there as Union Fire Chief Aaron Gruelle received a low-dose CT lung cancer screening, becoming the first participant in the pilot program.
"It's easy. It's quick to do and it's now available," Gruelle said. "I want to be an advocate for it, and the only way I can do it is if I have real-world experience."
The three-minute CT scan represents a critical tool in fighting a threat that kills more firefighters than fires themselves. Cancer is now the number one cause of line-of-duty death among firefighters, according to the International Association of Firefighters.
WATCH: The Union fire chief receives the first CT in the program
Dr. Michael Gieske, director of lung cancer screening at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, emphasized the urgency behind the program.
"The importance with any kind of cancer screening is to catch it early, and firefighters are 9% more likely to get cancer than the general population, and they're 14% more likely to die from cancer than the general population," Gieske said.
These statistics reflect the hidden occupational hazards firefighters encounter daily. While they brave flames and smoke, they're simultaneously exposed to dangerous carcinogens and toxic chemicals through inhalation, ingestion and skin absorption. This exposure makes firefighters particularly susceptible to not only lung cancer but also bladder, colon, kidney, melanoma, mesothelioma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, prostate and testicular cancers.
The program carries personal significance for the Union Fire Department. Captain Travis Ransom died from non-smoking lung cancer at age 49, leaving behind a devastated family and department.
"We all had a front row seat to what Travis and his family had to go through," Gruelle said.
Ransom was a 30-year firefighter who served 20 years at CVG Airport before retiring as battalion chief in 2017. He joined the Union Fire Department in 2018 and continued his service until his diagnosis.
In March 2022, a routine chest X-ray required by Kentucky state law revealed devastating news. After an exhaustive month of testing, Ransom was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and given six months to live.
Despite his diagnosis, Ransom continued working throughout his treatment, undergoing 35 chemotherapy treatments over 26 months while maintaining his duties at the fire department.
"He had chemo every three weeks, and he worked every day, and the day he went into the hospital on June 11, he actually worked that morning," his widow said.
Ransom died 10 days later on June 21, 2024.
"If you saw my husband, you never, ever would have guessed it. He did everything right. You know, he worked out every day. He ate healthy, lived a very healthy lifestyle, was very active," Lisa Ransom said. "He would say, 'If lung cancer can find him, it can find anybody.'"
Earlier detection would have made the difference between her husband being diagnosed at stage 4 versus potentially at stage 1 or 2, when the treatments are more effective, Ransom said.
"If this program was in existence five years ago, my husband probably would be sitting here today cured, talking to you directly and speaking on the benefits of the screening and the importance of it," Ransom said. "It's much more indicative to show things rather than the state requirement of a chest X-ray. And for the minimal cost, why would you not do that? For the peace of mind to know if something's wrong and could potentially save your life."
The pilot program, which took a year and a half to develop, initially serves Union and Fort Mitchell fire departments. Any firefighter aged 45 or older, or with 10 years of service, qualifies for the screening.
"Between those two fire departments, there's probably 50 firefighters who qualify," Gieske said.
The program requires no needles or invasive procedures — just a three-minute scan. In addition to the CT scan, which will be done every two years, Gieske said the three-pronged approach includes a comprehensive physical and a comprehensive skin exam through a Cincinnati-based program called "Melanoma Know More."
Only the CT scan comes at a cost.
"We charge a retail price of $160, and that's paid for through the fire department," Gieske said.
The 90-day pilot program aims to expand to additional departments in the new year, building on St. Elizabeth's established lung cancer screening expertise and Dr. Gieske's collaboration with national experts developing firefighter cancer screening guidelines.
"Those who protect us, we're going to hopefully protect them too," Gieske said.
Ransom said she's grateful for the Union Fire Department's commitment to the program.
"It's a brotherhood. Travis gave 30 of his 49 years of life to the fire service, and they always have each other's back," Ransom said. "I'm very grateful that Aaron and the fire department were selected to be part of the pilot program with Dr. Gieske. And hopefully, if it can save someone's life, then it's all worth it."
Gieske estimates there are only 10 to 15 firefighter screening programs like St. Elizabeth's in the country.
"I hope that other departments take advantage of it, too, because Travis has been honored in so many places. His name is on the wall in Maryland, and the firefighter memorial in Kentucky, and if you knew him, he probably wouldn't care much about that," Gruelle said. "But he would care about this and want folks to go and get scanned, so I think this is what's most important in the process."
The hospital network's standard lung cancer screening program has conducted over 50,000 scans over the past decade. Of the 850 lung cancers found, 75% were in stage 1.
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