Hoag delivers breakthrough cancer screening to OC firefighters

In recent outreach efforts, caregivers from Hoag’s Digestive Health Institute brought innovative esophageal cancer screening directly to Orange County firefighters, people who dedicate their lives to protecting others. Esophageal cancer is among the fastest-rising cancers in the United States, yet symptoms are often silent until the disease is advanced. Screening early can change outcomes dramatically.

What made this effort especially meaningful was not just who participated, but how we screened them. Hoag is among the first health systems in the nation to adopt a non-invasive DNA-based screening tool that detects precancerous changes in the esophagus without sedation and in just a few minutes during a routine visit. Patients swallow a tiny, tethered capsule that collects cells as it is gently retrieved. Those cells are then analyzed to uncover molecular changes long before cancer would otherwise be diagnosed.

During this outreach, more than 150 firefighters were referred for the screening, with 117 completing tests and 10 returning positive results, offering a lifeline of early intervention that would have been missed without proactive care.

This work reflects something deeper about our mission: a focus on prevention as deeply as treatment. It shows how cutting-edge technology, when paired with clinical expertise and community engagement, can change lives well before disease progresses. It’s innovation in service of humanity.

Learn more about Hoag's Digestive Health Institute.