By Jim Lockwood
The Times-Tribune
SCRANTON, Pa. — Diagnosed last June with esophageal cancer, Scranton Fire Department Lt. Kelly Hopkins died from disease in March at age 63.
On Tuesday, Scranton firefighters, both active and retired, for the first time began taking advantage of esophageal cancer screenings coordinated through the firefighters’ union, the Local 60 chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters.
Screenings continue Wednesday and Thursday at Weston Field House and results should be received in about three weeks, Local 60 President Allen Lucas said.
Esophageal cancer tends to be an aggressive form of cancer, such that by the time it’s diagnosed, it has already progressed into later stages, he said. But early detection could lead to treatments that could stop it and result in much better long-term prognoses.
“The main purpose (for the esophageal cancer screening) is it’s a preventative measure, it’s early detection,” Lucas said. “Our job is considered a carcinogen, it’s been labeled as that, so this is a way for us to protect ourselves and get as far ahead (of an esophageal cancer diagnosis) as we can.”
The Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association, which is a member of the IAFF, also promotes esophageal cancer screenings, Lucas said.
Local 60 partnered with Lucid Diagnostics based in New York City for the screenings in Scranton using the firm’s EsoGuard esophageal DNA precancer test, said Lucas and Lucid Diagnostics Senior Market Development Manager Justin Stenta.
Firefighters have a 62% higher risk of developing esophageal cancer and a 39% increased risk of dying from the cancer than non-firefighters, according to research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health cited by the IAFF and Lucas Diagnostics.
The EsoGuard screening of the esophagus, informally known as the “food tube,” can detect precancerous cells in a quick, non-invasive procedure that does not require sedation. The test searches for abnormal, precancerous biomarker cells, Stenta said.
“We’re looking for esophageal pre-cancer. If we can detect it, we can do something about it. There are technologies out there that can eradicate it,” Stenta said.
The procedure involves use of a small collector about the size of a daily vitamin that is attached to a microcatheter about the width of a single strand of spaghetti, Stenta said. Lucas, who was the first one to get the screening done Tuesday, said the collector was placed near the back of his throat and, as he slowly swallowed some water, a nurse fed the catheter down the esophagus and then pulled it back out.
“It’s not that bad. The whole process takes about a minute,” Lucas said.
Local 60 hopes to use the results of this first screening to have them continue and get covered as a health benefit in the union’s next labor contract, Lucas said. The union’s current collective bargaining agreement expires at the end of 2026.
“This is like a step one that we’ll be able to take a lot of information from here and use that in our (next) contract negotiations, that this is a benefit that we are asking for,” Lucas said.
Hopkins’ diagnosis of esophageal cancer and death served as a wake-up call for firefighters to become more proactive about the disease, Lucas said.
Nicknamed “Hoppy,” Hopkins joined the Scranton Fire Department on Jan. 6, 1986, and rose through the ranks to become the senior lieutenant. A father, grandfather and second-generation firefighter, Hopkins was known as a genial, caring and prominent community figure and leader, and as a role model in the fire department.
The idea of screenings was raised in August at an IAFF convention, and the PPFFA set up a meeting with Lucid Diagnostics in the fall to get the ball rolling for Local 60, Lucas said.
“We met with them, we attempted to try something, but logistically did not get it done,” until now, Lucas said.
“With him (Hopkins) passing in March, it’s an eye opening, it’s an awakening thing for a lot of guys,” Lucas said. “It’s really big for us to be more proactive and try to get as far ahead as we can because it was such a big loss for our department. We’re doing everything in our power to stay healthy.”
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