Firefighter battling Stage 4 cancer had 'very benign' symptom
Dorsey, 56, was diagnosed on Feb. 14 with Stage 4 esophageal cancer that spread to his lymph nodes and liver.
9 Baltimore firefighter Steve Dorsey, 56, was diagnosed on Valentine's Day with Stage 4 esophageal cancer that spread to his lymph nodes and liver.
Courtesy of Baltimore firefighter Steve Dorsey
The 21-year department veteran is on medical leave, undergoing chemotherapy in the hopes of shrinking his tumors, as his colleagues rally around him.
'My co-workers in the Baltimore City Fire Department have been nothing but just outstanding and supportive,' Dorsey told The Post. 'The love that I've gotten out of them has been amazing.'
Esophageal cancer is an aggressive, deadly cancer often caught in advanced stages. The five-year survival rate is low — especially for Stage 4 patients.
Dorsey is sharing his story to encourage first responders to be proactive about their health. The father of four is also trying to get fire departments nationwide to offer Lucid Diagnostics' EsoGuard DNA test to detect abnormal esophageal cells before they progress to cancer.
'My mission is to bring awareness to esophageal cancer [since firefighters have a] 63% higher [risk] than the general population. It's right there with testicular cancer and mesothelioma,' Dorsey said.
'And also bring awareness, too, that there is testing available.'
9 Esophageal cancer is an aggressive, deadly cancer often caught in advanced stages. The five-year survival rate is low — especially for Stage 4 patients.
Courtesy of Baltimore firefighter Steve Dorsey
Dorsey said he underwent routine check-ups every six months, with high blood pressure his only concern.
Everything was fine until January, when he started to have trouble swallowing. The difficulties were 'very benign' at first — sometimes he'd have to drink some fluids to wash the food down.
'It progressively just started getting worse, where it was very difficult to eat anything, basically, without regurgitating it back up,' Dorsey recalled.
9 Dorsey joined the fire department in 2004, becoming a pump operator assigned to Engine 57 in Curtis Bay.
Courtesy of Baltimore firefighter Steve Dorsey
A series of tests revealed masses in his lower esophagus, lymph nodes and liver.
Chemotherapy began in March and is expected to last into June.
'I will have a follow-up CT scan done to see what the tumors look like,' Dorsey shared. 'We're hopeful that they've shrunk down, and if the chemotherapy and immunotherapies are successful in that, then we'll just keep moving forward with that.'
9 Though he's on medical leave, Dorsey often returns to the firehouse to visit with his colleagues.
Courtesy of Baltimore firefighter Steve Dorsey
In the meantime, Dorsey has been making regular trips to the firehouse to see his pals.
The longtime pump operator, assigned to Engine 57 in Curtis Bay, misses the camaraderie. In one recent visit, he was the first to back a new firetruck into the firehouse, a symbolic tradition in the fire service.
'Firefighting is one of those jobs where you absolutely love the job,' Dorsey said. 'I like to say being a firefighter in Baltimore city is the best job in the world and probably one of the worst places you can do it.'
9 'It's been a great ride,' Dorsey said while reflecting on his 21-year career.
Courtesy of Baltimore firefighter Steve Dorsey
Dorsey is a third-generation Baltimore firefighter. He had long dreamed of being on the front lines and decided to go for it at 35 as his oldest son graduated from high school.
While he knew about the physical dangers, he wished there was a better understanding of the long-term health risks when he joined the department in 2004.
Firefighters endure toxic chemicals, smoke, extreme heat and loud noise while saving lives, raising their risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, heart disease, respiratory illnesses and certain types of cancer.
9 Dorsey is a third-generation Baltimore firefighter. He had long dreamed of being on the front lines and decided to go for it at 35 as his oldest son graduated from high school.
Courtesy of Baltimore firefighter Steve Dorsey
Beyond battling blazes, Dorsey said he was constantly exposed to diesel exhaust at the firehouse due to inadequate ventilation.
Even his protective gear exacerbated the problem.
'When I came to the fire department in 2004, firefighters were only issued one set of turnout gear,' he said, noting that dirty gear used to be a badge of honor.
'Changes have been made over the years. We've been issued a second set of turnout gear — the coat and the pants — and so after a fire, we actually send those in and they get laundered, and we switch into our second set of gear.'
9 Dorsey's turnout gear used to be a badge of honor, but it likely exacerbated his cancer risk.
Courtesy of Baltimore firefighter Steve Dorsey
A spokesperson for the Baltimore fire department did not return a Post request for comment.
Dorsey said the city recently agreed that his cancer is a line-of-duty illness.
Esophageal cancer is a relatively rare cancer, accounting for only 1% of all cancer cases in the US.
The Firefighter Cancer Support Network reports that firefighters have a 39% increased risk of dying from esophageal cancer.
9 Dorsey is a father of four and grandfather of five (pictured here).
Courtesy of Baltimore firefighter Steve Dorsey
Lucid Diagnostics, headquartered in Manhattan, hopes to catch the cancer before it develops.
EsoGuard is a non-invasive test that uses a swallowable capsule to collect cells from the lower esophagus for analysis.
The test, which launched commercially in 2019, looks for genetic markers associated with Barrett's esophagus (esophageal precancer) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (cancer).
'A lot of fire departments across the country are partnering with EsoGuard to offer this testing to their members. Baltimore city was not one,' Dorsey said.
9 Dorsey is trying to get fire departments nationwide to offer Lucid Diagnostics' EsoGuard DNA test to detect abnormal esophageal cells before they progress to cancer.
Lucid said it has screened over 10,000 firefighters. In New York, it's held small events with the FDNY.
'We have been engaging with the 9/11 WTC foundation to add this as a covered benefit, but do not currently have an active policy,' Lucid told The Post.
'We remain optimistic that the clinicians see the value for this high-risk group and we'll be able to fully implement it at the NYC WTC in the coming months.'
As he spreads awareness about the importance of cancer screenings, Dorsey is being celebrated by his community for his impact and resilience.
Two fundraisers have been set for the summer to help pay Dorsey's medical expenses. Over $9,700 has been raised via GoFundMe.
Eventually, his sick leave will turn into medical retirement. The grandfather of five had planned to retire in six or seven years — not like this.
'I didn't expect it to happen this early or happen this way,' Dorsey said. But as he reflected on his career, he noted that, 'It's been a great ride.'
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Courtesy Pam Mauldin 11 Jordan's mom, Pam Mauldin (second from right), spoke to The Post to warn other parents — and thinks kratom should be pulled from shelves. Courtesy Pam Mauldin Marketed as an 'all-natural' way to ease pain, anxiety, depression and more, kratom can appeal to health-conscious people like McKibban, who Mauldin says wouldn't even take ibuprofen for the arthritis in his hands. Advertisement But on that Tuesday in April 2022, a compound in the substance called mitragynine took McKibban's life, an autopsy report later showed. When Mauldin broke into his bathroom after a call from her grandson that day, she found McKibban lifeless. She performed CPR on her own son and shielded her eyes when medics carried his gray body away. 'I've lost my son. I've lost my grandchildren that I could have had, I've lost watching him walk down that aisle, watching him have a life that I get to watch with my other kids. I've lost enjoying these years with him,' Mauldin said. Advertisement 'I have to go to the cemetery, and I hate going to the cemetery. He shouldn't be there,' she added. From dizziness to nonresponsiveness Kratom products — sold in powders, gummies and energy-looking drinks — come from a plant native to Southeast Asia and can act like a stimulant at lower doses and a sedative at higher ones. 'Kratom does act like an opioid, and people can become addicted to it and have withdrawal from it and overdose on it.' Dr. Robert Levy, addiction and family medicine doctor While they're readily found online, in brick-and-mortar stores and even gas stations as catch-all solutions to everything from fatigue to opioid withdrawal, the Food and Drug Administration says kratom and its key components are 'not lawfully marketed' in the US as a drug product, dietary supplement or food additive. Advertisement 11 Kratom, which comes in powders, gummies and drinks, can have serious side effects. AP The products, though, are gaining attention on social media, as TikTokers reveal disturbing interactions with teens going great lengths to get their hands on drinks like Feel Free. The shot-like capsules of kratom and other 'botanic' ingredients look innocent enough and line some gas station checkouts. National poison control centers documented 1,807 calls about kratom exposures between 2011 and 2017, and 'it's only been increasing since then,' Dr. Michael Greco, an emergency medicine physician in Florida, said. Patients on kratom 'can have a lot of agitation, sometimes even psychosis,' he added. 'You get sweating, you get dizziness, you get very high blood pressure or elevated heart rate.' On the other end of the spectrum, he noted, 'people might be totally unresponsive or just extremely drowsy and out of it.' 11 Feel Free, shot-like capsules of kratom and other 'botanic' ingredients, have recently earned attention on TikTok. Feel Free Tonics While documented deaths from kratom are rare and typically involve other substances like fentanyl, critics say consumers are unaware of kratom's potential dangers. Manufacturers aren't required to verify if what is listed on the label accurately reflects what's inside the product. McKibban, for one, was told it was impossible to overdose on kratom; that he'd just throw up if he took too much, Mauldin said. The green cellophane bags he left behind had no instructions or warnings. Advertisement 'I find it so frustrating when I get a recall from Costco over lettuce or they have a recall over some potato chip … and they pull it all off the market,' Mauldin, whose lawsuit alleges kratom is 63 times more deadly than other 'natural' products sold to consumers, noted. 'There have been hundreds of people killed from this, and they don't pull it. The government doesn't step in,' she added. 11 'I've lost my son. I've lost my grandchildren that I could have had, I've lost watching him walk down that aisle, watching him have a life,' Mauldin said. Courtesy Pam Mauldin 11 'I have to go to the cemetery, and I hate going to the cemetery. He shouldn't be there,' Mauldin said. Courtesy Pam Mauldin An even more potent danger Experts are especially concerned with a highly potent, highly addictive kratom offshoot called 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, which seems to have infiltrated the market in the past few years, said Dr. Robert Levy, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota who's board-certified in both addiction and family medicine. Advertisement Many people don't know the difference. 'There's always been concern around kratom because if you take enough of it, kratom does act like an opioid, and people can become addicted to it and have withdrawal from it and overdose on it and ruin their lives on it, like anybody else that has a substance use disorder,' Levy said. 7-hydroxymitragynine, though, 'is much more addicting and much more problematic.' Advertisement In fact, just last week, the FDA recommended classifying 7-OH as an illicit substance. '7-OH is an opioid that can be more potent than morphine,' FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, said in a press release. 'We need regulation and public education to prevent another wave of the opioid epidemic.' 11 People on kratom can experience agitation, psychosis, sweating, dizziness, hypertension and elevated heart rate. Courtesy Pam Mauldin In the meantime, according to Levy, parents should be having open conversations with their kids about the appeals, dangers and addictive potential of kratom — and the fact that 'all-natural' or 'plant-based' doesn't necessarily mean safe. 'Arsenic is also from a plant,' he says. Advertisement As for people who say kratom helps them wean off other substances 'and they can control their use and they're getting their life back together, then who am I to judge?' Levy said. 'I just worry that because they can't control the use of something, the part of their brain that controls the use of psychoactive drugs is fundamentally broken, and I worry they'll continue to take more and more of it until they develop a kratom use disorder.' 'The level of kratom shocked me. It overwhelmed me. It made my gut sick. I didn't realize it was so addicting.' Jennifer Young '[If] the part of their brain that controls the use of psychoactive drugs is fundamentally broken, I worry they'll continue to take more and more of it until they develop a kratom use disorder,' he said. 'If your child or you or whoever is suffering from a substance disorder, you're not alone,' Levy added. 'Lots of people suffer from substance disorder. There is help, treatment works.' 11 Jennifer Young's son, Johnny Loring, was taking kratom — and she didn't worry because it's marketed as an 'all-natural, safe alternative.' Courtesy Jennifer Young 'No money on my child's life' For Jennifer Young, that message came too late. The mom in Columbus, Ohio, first googled kratom a few years ago after her son, Johnny Loring, mentioned he was using it for anxiety. What she found didn't alarm her. 'I saw it's this 'all-natural, safe alternative,' and then people are like, 'It's wonderful, it saved my life, helps with my anxiety, helps with my pain, it's a cure-all,'' Young remembered. 'So I didn't really think it was that bad.' 11 'Everybody loved Johnny,' Young says. 'He was the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back, the last dollar in his pocket.' Courtesy Jennifer Young Plus, Loring, a delivery driver for a flooring company who loved fishing and playing guitar, found kratom helped him stay alert and communicate with his customers. He valued those relationships. 'Everybody loved Johnny,' Young said. 'He was the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back, the last dollar in his pocket. He didn't care if you needed a ride, he'd give it to you. Anything you needed, he would be there for you in a heartbeat.' Even when Loring started having seizures, neither Young nor clinicians traced them back to kratom. At the hospital, 'they told me that everything was fine and they referred me to a seizure clinic,' Young added. Loring never got the chance to go. Weeks later, at age 27, he collapsed during an annual mushroom hunting trip with the men in his family and his new girlfriend. By the time the ambulance got to him, he was dead. A toxicology report revealed deadly levels of mitragynine and gabapentin, a prescription painkiller, in his system. 11 At age 27, Loring collapsed during an annual mushroom hunting trip with the men in his family and his new girlfriend. By the time the ambulance got to him, he was dead. Courtesy Jennifer Young 11 'Our house is silent now. The void of Johnny is just loud,' Young says. 'I just hope that someday I can get back to enjoying things, because I know he would want me to. But right now, I don't enjoy anything.' Courtesy Jennifer Young 'The level of kratom shocked me. It overwhelmed me. It made my gut sick,' said Young, who later found about 20 packs of kratom, which he drank with orange juice, around Loring's room. 'I didn't realize it was so addicting.' Like Mauldin, Young is pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit. But, she added, 'there's no amount of money I could put on my child's life.' After Loring's death last spring, she spent a year in bed and got on antidepressants for the first time. One of her other children has been hospitalized for panic attacks. Christmas was 'miserable,' she said. 'Our house is silent now. The void of Johnny is just loud,' Young added. 'I just hope that someday I can get back to enjoying things, because I know he would want me to. But right now, I don't enjoy anything.'
