A 20-Year Firefighter’s Metastatic Prostate Cancer Diagnosis at 60 Changed Everything — Now He’s Urging ‘Get Screened’

Leitz ultimately turned to VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center for treatment, thanks to help from the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting firefighters, EMS providers, and their immediate family members facing cancer through peer-to-peer support, education, training, and guidance.

At VCU Massey, he found specialized care and support following his January 2024 diagnosis—and has since become an advocate for cancer screenings and the disease.

‘Twenty Seconds of Unpleasantry’ Could ‘Add Years to Your Life’

Speaking to VCU Health about his experience, Leitz said he has since returned part-time to the fire department he retired from and feels he is “getting back” to a sense of normalcy. While he acknowledged that undergoing prostate cancer screening was not exactly enjoyable, he stressed how grateful he was for it.

“It’s not pleasant, there’s no doubt about it. But if it’s 20 seconds of unpleasantry, those could potentially add years to your life. And you got to do it every year. That’s just the way it is,” Leitz told VCU Health.

“I had to go, and I’m glad I did. And not every man has a job that says, ‘Okay, every year you’re going to have a prostate screening [like firefighters do].'”

In hopes to encourage early detection among other men, Leitz added, “My advice to cancer patients is to reach out early. Early detection and early talking about it. And support networks are huge.”

“The number one thing I say to people is to get in a support group or reach out to the chaplaincy or somebody that you can talk to about all of this.”

Supported By Dozens of Firefighters

When Leitz received his diagnosis, he was told he had a Gleason score (which reveals how aggressive a man’s prostate cancer cells look under a microscope) of 9. Scores range from 6 (least aggressive) to 10 (most aggressive).

“When we see men with Gleason eight, nine, or 10 prostate cancer, we know that this cancer, by definition, is aggressive,” Dr. Phillip Pierorazio, a urologist at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, tells SurvivorNet. “What we mean by aggressive is that it has the ability to leave the prostate, and so it’s incredibly important to do a full staging evaluation at this time.”

RELATED: Understanding Advanced Prostate Cancer: Why Gleason Scores Matter

Leitz marked a major treatment milestone by ringing the bell in July 2025, surrounded by dozens of fellow firefighters, EMS providers, and members of his medical team.

The Virginia resident, who continues to take medication to keep the disease under control, said the team at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center made his cancer journey worthwhile, praising everyone there for being “so friendly and nice.”

He explained further, ” I’ve been around a bunch of other health care systems, and you just don’t seem to get that in other places. I have never had a bad experience at Massey.

“You walk down the hall, everybody is saying ‘hi’ to you or ‘good morning’ and they’re truly caring. For a big city, urban hospital to have that level of compassion and caring is uncommon.”

Dr. John Melson, a medical oncologist at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center who was part of Leitz’s team, also commented on his cancer journey.

Dr. Melson told VUC Health, “Greg has done a great job with treatment and, right now, we have great control of the cancer. I talk about this with Greg a lot – there’s always a balance between the efficacy of our treatments and maintaining quality of life for a patient, and not allowing the cancer treatment to compromise that quality of life.

“Right now, I think we’re in a very good spot with Greg where we’ve found that balance.”

RELATED: A Firefighter’s Journey Through Metastatic Prostate Cancer and the Brotherhood That Carried Him

Now back at his beloved fire department three days a week, Leitz makes a conscious effort to maintain a healthy balance between his work, family life, and spending time outdoors.

What the Research Shows

Fires generate hazardous byproducts—gases, liquids, and microscopic particles—that can be breathed in or absorbed through the skin, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Additionally, their gear may contain PFAS-related chemicals, and they are exposed to diesel emissions from vehicles at emergency scenes and fire stations.

Much of what’s known about firefighter cancer risk traces back to a landmark National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study of nearly 30,000 career firefighters from Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, employed at any time between 1950 and 2009.

Completed in 2015, the study found firefighters had a 9% increase in cancer diagnoses and a 14% increase in cancer-related deaths compared to the general U.S. population, along with a twofold excess of mesothelioma (a rare, aggressive cancer of the tissue lining the lungs, abdomen, or heart — almost always caused by asbestos exposure) and elevated rates of prostate and bladder cancer at younger ages.

That research has since expanded. NIOSH’s National Firefighter Registry for Cancer, built to address gaps in the original cohort — including its underrepresentation of volunteer, wildland, female, and non-white firefighters — is now the largest firefighter cancer study ever undertaken. Enrollment was approaching 50,000 firefighters as of mid-2026, with roughly 2,000 new participants joining each month.

Scott Jennie, National State Director of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN), emphasizes in an earlier conversation to SurvivorNet that repeated exposure to toxic smoke, contaminated gear, and carcinogenic environments significantly increases long-term cancer risks for firefighters.

He shared the following statement: “Every fire releases a complex mix of carcinogens from burning plastics, foams, electronics, furnishings, and fuels. Firefighters experience hundreds to thousands of exposures over a career—structure fires, vehicle fires, wildland-urban interface, training burns, and overhaul.”

‘Repeat Exposure Damages DNA’

“Even if each exposure is ‘short,’ the total lifetime dose becomes significant,” Jennie’s statement continued. “Cancer often has a long latency period. Firefighters may feel fine during active duty, only to see disease emerge decades after repeated exposures began—sometimes even into retirement.”

“Repeated exposure to carcinogens damages DNA. When that damage isn’t fully repaired, DNA mutations accumulate over time, disrupting normal cell control and increasing the likelihood of cancer development.”

“For firefighters, this process is accelerated because toxic exposures happen repeatedly over an entire career—through inhalation of smoke, dermal contact with contaminants, and continued exposure from contaminated gear and environments,” the statement concluded, adding: “Each exposure adds to the cumulative DNA damage, raising long-term cancer risk.”

Firefighters For Hope

The FCSN has been actively raising awareness and supporting firefighter health through upcoming initiatives. Earlier this year, they hosted the Firefighters for Hope – Cancer Walk, a 10K event tied to Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month, to fund badge-to-badge support programs and prevention education.

The network coordinates cancer screening events with healthcare experts, offers free nationwide training on minimizing cancer risks in the fire service, and emphasizes the importance of regular check-ups for early detection. Its leaders frequently attend key fire service conferences to deliver workshops and talks on prevention, survivor support, and safety practices, guiding firefighters, department leaders, and communities to take proactive steps in protecting long-term health.

Meanwhile, the ACS reports that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization (WHO), concluded in 2010 that there is strong evidence linking multiple firefighting-related exposures to cancer.

These exposures include chemicals such as arsenic, asbestos, benzene, formaldehyde, silica, cadmium, sulfuric acid, certain radioactive substances, and dioxins—all of which have been associated with cancers affecting the lungs, skin, liver, blood, bladder, larynx, digestive system, mesothelioma, and overall cancer risk.

The IARC has also noted that firefighters who work night shifts may be at an increased risk of cancer due to the disruption of sleep and biological rhythms. However, studies are ongoing.

‘Environmental Causes of Cancer’ Are ‘Difficult to Study’

Colorectal oncologist and SurvivorNet Medical Advisor Dr. Heather Yeo previously told SurvivorNet, “It’s often difficult to study environmental causes of cancer,” adding that it often takes enormous amounts of exposure for the risk to become severe.

WATCH: SurvivorNetTV Presents “How Not to Get Cancer: Environment”

The National Cancer Institute has identified several chemical substances known to be carcinogenic to humans. Some examples of carcinogenic chemicals include:

• Arsenic
• Asbestos
• Indoor emissions from household compounds
• Soot
• Secondhand tobacco smoke
• Wood dust

WATCH: Are toxins in the air making us sick?

What Is a Gleason Score & Why Does It Matter?

When you hear the words “prostate cancer,” your mind might immediately fill with questions: How serious is it? What does my diagnosis mean? One of the most important numbers your doctor may mention is your Gleason score. 

The Gleason score is a way for doctors to describe how aggressive your prostate cancer looks under a microscope. It is based on the pattern of cancer cells found in a sample from your prostate, usually taken during a biopsy.

When a pathologist examines your biopsy, they look at the architecture of the prostate cells. Healthy prostate tissue has a very organized structure. Cancer changes that structure. The more disorganized and abnormal the cells look, the more aggressive the cancer is likely to be.

The pathologist assigns two numbers, each between 1 and 5, representing the two most common patterns seen in the sample:

• Pattern 1 or 2 = cells look almost normal (rarely seen in modern diagnosis)
• Pattern 3 = cells are somewhat abnormal
• Pattern 4 = cells are more abnormal and aggressive
• Pattern 5 = cells are very abnormal, often forming clumps or sheets rather than glands

The two numbers are added together to give the Gleason score. For example:

• Pattern 3 + Pattern 4 = Gleason 7
• Pattern 4 + Pattern 5 = Gleason 9

What Do Gleason Scores Mean?

Traditionally, Gleason scores range from 6 to 10:

• Gleason 6 (3+3): Low-grade cancer (least aggressive)
• Gleason 7 (3+4 or 4+3): Intermediate-grade cancer (the second number matters: 4+3 is more aggressive than 3+4)
• Gleason 8, 9, or 10: High-grade cancer (most aggressive)

These scores help predict how fast the cancer might grow, how likely it is to spread beyond the prostate, and what treatments might be necessary.

A Guide For Newly Diagnosed Prostate Cancer Patients

If your cancer is already advanced — meaning it has spread outside the prostate to lymph nodes, bones, or other organs — you might wonder: Does my Gleason score still matter? Gleason score gives insight into tumor biology. Even in advanced cases, higher Gleason scores usually mean the cancer is more aggressive and may progress faster.

It helps guide treatment choices. For example, patients with very high Gleason scores (9-10) often need intensified therapy, such as adding newer hormonal agents or chemotherapy early on.

Those with lower scores may start with less aggressive treatment.

It also influences prognosis. Higher scores are linked to a greater chance of complications and shorter response times to hormone therapy.

Gleason Score & Risk Groups

Doctors often group Gleason scores into Grade Groups, which make things simpler:

• Grade Group 1: Gleason 6 (3+3)
• Grade Group 2: Gleason 7 (3+4)
• Grade Group 3: Gleason 7 (4+3)
• Grade Group 4: Gleason 8
• Grade Group 5: Gleason 9 or 10

For advanced prostate cancer, most patients fall into Grade Group 4 or 5, meaning the cancer is considered high-risk or very high-risk.

What If I Didn’t Have a Biopsy?

Sometimes prostate cancer is discovered after it has spread, and a biopsy of the prostate may not have been done. In these cases, your doctor may still recommend a biopsy of the prostate or one of the metastatic sites to check the Gleason pattern

If a biopsy isn’t possible, doctors rely on imaging, PSA levels, and clinical features to guide treatment.

How Does Gleason Score Affect Treatment?

While all advanced prostate cancers require systemic therapy (treatment that works throughout the body), the Gleason score can help shape your treatment plan.

Treatment might include:

• Hormone therapy (ADT): Almost all patients start with androgen deprivation therapy, which lowers testosterone (fuel for prostate cancer).
• Additional hormonal agents: If your Gleason score is high, your doctor may prescribe medicines such as abiraterone, enzalutamide, apalutamide, or darolutamide.
• Chemotherapy: Men with Gleason 9-10 disease often benefit from early chemotherapy in addition to hormone therapy.
• Radiation therapy: Even in advanced cases, radiation to the prostate or metastatic sites might be considered, especially if you have oligometastatic disease (five or fewer spots of spread).
• Clinical trials: High Gleason scores may make you eligible for studies testing new treatments.

While it’s true that higher Gleason scores usually indicate more aggressive cancer, advanced treatments are improving outcomes even for Gleason 9-10 cancers.

Other factors matter too, like how many metastases you have, your PSA level, and your overall health. Many men live for years — even with high Gleason scores — thanks to modern therapies.

Remember, the Gleason score is one piece of the puzzle, not the whole story.

What Are the Current Prostate Cancer Screening Guidelines?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) both recommend that men at average risk between the ages of 55 and 69 years talk with their doctor about the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening.

The American Cancer Society recommends that men at age 50 who are at average risk should begin screening. Men who are at high risk of prostate cancer should begin screening at age 45. Men with a close relative diagnosed with prostate cancer should consider annual screening at 40.

For men 70 years and older, the USPSTF and the CDC say potential benefits do not outweigh the expected harms and recommend that men 70 and older should not be routinely screened for prostate cancer.

SurvivorNet’s Proprietary AI‑Powered Tool Helps Man Battling Prostate Cancer Navigate Worrying Symptoms & Next Steps in Treatment

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

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