Causes of gliomas, the most common type of deadly brain tumor, remain a mystery despite improvements in understanding glioma risks. Firefighters have a higher rate of these cancerous tumors, so we explored how exposure to haloalkanes, chemicals present in a number of widely used products including flame retardants, some fire extinguishants, solvents and pesticides, might contribute to gliomas.
Rare genetic syndromes explain only a minority of glioma cases, and aside from ionizing radiation, no other environmental exposures have been identified that increase risk. However, a recent study from our collaborators at Yale identified a genetic change in some gliomas, known as a tumor mutational signature – essentially a “fingerprint” – associated with exposure to haloalkane chemicals.
Are haloalkane mutational signatures linked to gliomas?
No study has connected this haloalkane mutational signature from tumor samples to the occupational history of glioma patients. To test this relationship, we identified patients with a history of firefighting from the San Francisco Bay Area Adult Glioma Study (AGS) and matched them to study patients who have not worked as firefighters to analyze their tumors for the haloalkane mutational signature.
Our results showed that tumors from firefighters were more likely to have the haloalkane mutational signature than tumors from non-firefighters. We also found that non-firefighters with potential occupational exposure to haloalkanes, such as painting or auto-mechanics, also had mutational signatures associated with haloalkane exposure.
Occupational exposures to haloalkane chemicals appear to increase risk of brain tumors
These results suggest that this haloalkane genetic pattern may be associated with occupational exposure to haloalkanes. Our results are preliminary and larger studies are needed to confirm this link and understand the underlying mechanism. If confirmed, the knowledge could lead to important changes in public health and workplace safety, such as better protective measures for firefighters and reduced exposure to harmful chemicals.
Cannataro VL, Bracci PM, Taylor JW, McCoy L, Rice T, Hansen HM, Heffernan AE, Wiemels J, Wiencke J, Wrensch M, Claus EB. Glioma mutational signatures associated with haloalkane exposure are enriched in firefighters. Cancer. 2025 Mar 15;131(6):e35732. doi: 10.1002/cncr.35732. PMID: 40059488; PMCID: PMC11891468.
About the authors
Vincent Cannataro, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Emmanuel College working on cancer, how mutations occur and how they contribute to cancer and aging.
Elizabeth Claus, MD, PhD is a Professor, Yale University and Attending Neurosurgeon, Mass General Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Her research focuses on cancer, genetic epidemiology, and developing risk models for brain tumors.
Paige Bracci, PhD, is a Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UCSF, studying cancer risk and prognosis to inform prevention and intervention strategies.
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