Anthony Cetrone, MD
Urgent Care, Bayview Physicians Group
One of Dr. Anthony Cetrone’s proudest accomplishments in his 45 years of medical practice in Hampton Roads is promoting serology cancer screening tests for firefighters, who face a higher risk of disease due to exposure to toxic materials.
“They put their lives on the line for us, so I want to do whatever I can to help them stay healthy,” he notes. “They’re heroes.”
This year, Dr. Cetrone, President of NowCare Physicians and Chief Medical Officer of Bayview Physicians Group, was named a “Health Care Hero” by Inside Business Journal for his efforts to offer an advanced blood test, Galleri®, to several local fire departments.
Working closely with fire officials and municipal leaders, Dr. Cetrone and his team organized screening events at stations in Chesapeake, Suffolk and Virginia Beach in 2023 with funding from city governments and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Galleri®, currently cleared for use in firefighters pending full FDA approval, can screen for more than 50 types of cancer based on a single blood draw. The technology examines cell-free DNA for specific methylation patterns associated with malignancies in certain tissues and organs, with a 98.5 percent negative predictive value and a 43 percent positive predictive value.
Local screenings already have uncovered one case of hematopoietic cancer and another of gastrointestinal cancer in two entirely asymptomatic patients, reports Dr. Cetrone, who is also Board certified in Emergency Medicine.
“Our hope is that we caught both early enough for effective intervention, thanks to these pretty phenomenal tests,” he says. “We’ve also been able to help many firefighters and their families worry less about having an undiagnosed illness.”
As he works to expand testing to more localities, Dr. Cetrone aims to raise awareness of occupational cancer risk in firefighters, and also partner with Virginia Oncology Associates to ensure prompt treatment in diagnosed cases.
Firefighters have a 9 percent higher risk of cancer and a 14 percent higher chance of dying from it, according to the Fire Cancer Support Network, a California-based nonprofit.
Toxins might lurk in combustible items, some protective gear, and foams once used to extinguish blazes. Exposure can be sudden and widespread during major incidents – such as a jet plane crash or factory blaze – or gradual yet progressive over time.
NowCare Occupational Health & Safety, where Dr. Cetrone serves as Medical Director, has placed a major emphasis on public safety employees. Along with cancer screenings, the practice regularly focuses on cardiac health and emotional wellness.
Dr. Cetrone is quick to credit the entire NowCare and Bayview team for contributing to those efforts, including fellow physicians, Advanced Practice Providers, occupational health nurses, X-ray and lab technicians, and supporting staff.
To ensure easy access to Galleri® testing – which requires just two small tubes of blood – teams have organized multi-day visits to larger firehouses to cover different shifts. Firefighters who could not attend were invited to visit a NowCare facility.
Should Galleri® gain approval from the FDA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Dr. Cetrone expects screenings to quickly increase in older adults from all walks of life, given that age is the greatest risk factor for cancer.
Dr. Cetrone arrived in Hampton Roads in 1979 for a General Surgery residency at Eastern Virginia Medical School; he has served as an Associate Professor of Health Professions since 2006.
Today, Dr. Cetrone provides leadership along with co-owner and partner Jim Hartz. Together, they have watched Bayview grow into one of the region’s largest independent multi-specialty groups. He attributes much of its success to collaborative relationships with colleagues outside the group.
“Everyone on our team plays an important role,” Dr. Cetrone says. “That’s what allows us to be innovative and provide the best care possible, including to our first responders.”
