California firefighters join forces with UC researchers to study cancer risk amid Trump cuts

What you need to know: The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and University of California Davis (UC Davis) will study California firefighters for possible connections to cancer risk to pave new ways for prevention and intervention.

SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced a major new research effort led by UCLA and UC Davis, in collaboration with CAL FIRE, to investigate how occupational exposures among firefighters may increase cancer risk. The project, a sub-study of the California Firefighter Cancer Research Study (CAFF-CRS), is backed by nearly $9.7 million in funding from CAL FIRE and will include 3,500 firefighters from departments across the state over a two-year period.

The study comes as the Trump administration continues to cut critical cancer research.

"This study couldn't come at a more critical time as the Trump administration cuts cancer research. It's California at our best: our world-class public universities teaming up with the women and men who put their lives on the line to protect others - all in an effort to improve health outcomes for all. The findings of this research will help guide best practices better protecting firefighters from cancer risk for generations to come."

Governor Gavin Newsom