Piedmont Walton Provides Cancer Screenings for Walton County First Responders
Piedmont Walton Hospital recently partnered with Lucid Diagnostics to hold an esophageal precancer screening for first responders in Walton County. Fifty-nine personnel from the City of Monroe Fire Department, the City of Loganville Fire Department, the Social Circle City Fire Department, the Walton County Fire Department, and Walton County EMS attended the event, Piedmont medical providers used EsoGuard technology to screen for precancerous cells in the esophagus. According to research, firefighters are 62 percent more likely to develop esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and have a 39 percent higher likelihood of dying from EAC. EsoGuard testing allows providers to identify individuals with precancerous cells and begin a preventative treatment plan before it becomes a cancer diagnosis.
“The numbers of firefighters being diagnosed and dying from EAC are staggering,” said City of Monroe Fire Chief Andrew Dykes at the event. “This testing can provide the pathway to a much different outcome, making a true difference in the lives and futures of our firefighters.”
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