By Suzette Martinez Standring, Chief FvsC Correspondent
Firefighters vs. Cancer now partners with OneTest Standard for early screenings of more than 20+ different types of cancer. Firefighters and the public can order the tests directly on this website for themselves and their families. (Note: children of firefighters are 27 times more likely to develop cancer due to their exposure to carcinogens in a parent’s fire gear.) Amy Colton, National Sales Manager for OneTest, believes early screenings saved her own life, and said,“Firefighters are at a 72% higher chance of dying from cancer than they are from dying in a fire. It seems kind of crazy that they're not regularly screening for cancer in a meaningful manner.”
BLOOD IN AMY’S BREAST MILK BUT DOCTORS DIDN’T BELIEVE IT WAS CANCER
Amy Colton is no stranger to cancer. In 2001 Amy was nursing her second child, when she found blood in her breast milk, and suspected it might be breast cancer, but her doctors insisted nursing mothers were not affected.
“I was working in pharma, so I had access to a lot of doctors. I was calling around everywhere, and one by one I was getting refused. I decided to put the bottle of blood in the freezer, and I waited for my mother’s next oncologist visit, took it along, and plopped it on the doctor's desk. The doctor walked down the hall, bottle of blood in hand, until she found one of her partners who was willing to deal with it.”
In 2001 Amy was treated for breast cancer, stage 1. Later in 2005, after a reoccurance of her breast cancer, her mother died of stage 4 breast cancer, and Amy was fighting the insurance companies to cover her own BRCA testing due to current regulations. After she achieved the magical point of ten years of “no evidence of disease” and her oncologist said there was no reason for continued regular monitoring, Amy looked for other methods to screen on her own. In 2011 Amy turned to BRCA testing, which revealed a mutation, and later in 2011, she had a double mastectomy with complications, but currently, she is cancer-free.
AMY SEARCHED FOR EARLY DETECTION TESTS FOR HERSELF
This led Amy to want to find an easier way for people to screen with intention, especially those at higher risk of cancer like those in the fire service. In 2021 she happened upon OneTest which uses the same FDA approved biomarkers to screen for cancer that oncologists use for the ongoing monitoring of cancer.
The experience fuels her message: Test for cancer with intention. Don’t wait to find out by accident, especially if there is a family history of cancer, or high occupational risks.
“I had a number of friends who were under 40 who died from cancer because they were either ignored, or pushed off, or their cancers were found so late because their symptoms weren’t taken seriously.”
Amy’s experiences led to her working in the diagnostic industry with OneTest. “I came to this company in January of 2022, and we’ve grown exponentially since then.”
ONETEST ORIGINALLY FOR FIREFIGHTERS, PUBLIC ACCESS EXPANDED
Firefighters were OneTest’s original market, but Amy expanded national access to streamline one’s ability to monitor personal risks of cancer through the ability to test for cancer with OneTest’s at-home capillary collection kit.
She said, “I learned that doctors take a real circuitous path to finding cancer because of insurance, and because a lot of cancers have common symptoms with very, very benign conditions.”
For example, symptoms for pancreatic cancer may appear to be Crohn’s disease, or gastritis. Doctors try to rule out benign conditions first and then look for serious causes last. Meanwhile, medical visits and hospital tests are time consuming, and sadly, too often are not covered by insurance. Delays can be deadly. For example, OneTest can detect pancreatic cancer at Stages 1 & 2.
HOW ONETEST WORKS
Amy explained that OneTest analyzes the body’s biomarkers, which are responsible in multiple body functions. When elevated, these biomarkers can be indicative of cancer, and should be monitored closely and followed up by one’s doctor. OneTest is a faster, cheaper route for answers.
Now earlier detection of multiple different types of cancers is easy. A OneTest kit arrives, and a user obtains a blood sample via capillary collection, returns it via UPS/FedEx, and receives results in a secure private portal. This can then be shared with doctors.
HOW TO USE THE ONETEST KIT
Amy described the procedure.
The OneTest kit can be done at home.
An upper arm “capillary device” takes a tiny sample of blood, and it’s painless.
Put the cap back on and shake it 10 times.
Put it back in the cooler and ice pack, all of which are provided.
Use the provided label and drop it in the Fedex or UPS box/center.
The OneTest Lab will process the results in 7-10 days, and send them to the user’s on-line portal.
Amy said, “Screen for cancer early and on a regular basis to avoid negative long-term health complications. Our body is a complicated machine where one thing can affect others.”
Her mission is to make monitoring one’s cancer risks easy, accessible, affordable. “What I do is really rewarding.”
Note: Anyone can order the test and use these COUPON CODES
FFvCStand – Includes the Standard Test ($199) with Capillary Draw and free shipping.
FFvCPrem – Includes the Premium Test ($345) with Capillary Draw and free shipping.
Note: Firefighters vs. Cancer is hosting a clean comedy fundraiser on May 10, 2025 to give FREE early detection kits to the firefighters of the Milton, MA Fire Department.
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