Tasmania has extended its presumptive cancer list for firefighters to include 20 types of cancer. 

The move means firefighters who contract any of the 20 cancers on the list will no longer need to prove they contracted them at work, simplifying the compensation process. 

New legislation adds eight cancers not previously on the list, including malignant mesothelioma, ovarian, cervical, penile, thyroid, pancreatic, skin and lung cancer. 

Workplace Safety Minister Elise Archer said it is important to ensure the health of Tasmania's career and volunteer firefighters. 

“They are exposed to toxins in smoke, fuel and other hazardous materials at emergency incidents,” she said.

The United Firefighters Union (UFU) of Australia is lobbying governments around the country to add another eight cancers to the presumptive cancer list. 

UFU national secretary Greg McConville says firefighters diagnosed with cancer deserve to be able to focus on their recovery. 

“Without presumptive legislation, it is impossible for a firefighter to prove that their cancer was caused by any particular incident,” he said.

Fire and Emergency Management Minister Felix Ellis said legislation would be introduced in State Parliament as soon as possible. He said the government had not yet decided whether it would be made retrospective, to cover people diagnosed with the additional cancers since the presumptive legislation came into effect in 2013.