by Vera Martinella
Underestimated numbers. Lungs, pleura, bladder, nose and skin are the organs most affected by cancer caused by exposure to carcinogenic substances at work
Technically they are called “occupational cancers” and around 4,000 are diagnosed in Europe every year. This term catalogs neoplasms caused by exposure, generally long term, to carcinogenic substances present in the workplace and in December 2023 the latest statistics relating to the countries of the European Union have been released: lung cancer leads the sad ranking with almost 14 thousand cases diagnosed in the period 2013-2021, followed by pleural mesothelioma (caused by asbestos or asbestos) with 13,530 cases, bladder cancer (2,416 cases), nasal sinus cancer ( 930) and skin (887), just to mention the most frequent. In total, the European occupational cancer registry has collected 33,712 cases in less than a decade, with an average of over 3,900 neoplasms every year.
Protection rules
These data collections, however, are often underestimated and partial, first of all because they imply that the disease is recognised, first, and then recorded as linked to work activity. Furthermore, it must be considered that the numbers largely concern people who have been in contact with carcinogenic substances many decades before: in fact, on average it takes decades (not infrequently more than 40 years) for a tumor caused by a continuous and prolonged exposure to a certain element or material for a long time. «The list of occupational carcinogenic substances is long, but today there are protection and prevention regulations to defend workers – comments Diego Serraino, director of the Oncology Epidemiology Unit of the Irccs CRO Oncology Reference Center of Aviano -. The national prevention plan 2021-2025 includes a specific program for occupational cancers in line 8 (“PP08 Prevention of occupational carcinogenic risk”). There are precise safety regulations to be respected and, when indicated, for workers and employees at risk and their families, doctors carry out specific visits and tests.”
Jobs more at risk
Which workers are most at risk of which type of cancer? «Tumors of the pleura and peritoneum (two very thin serous membranes that surround the lungs and intestines) and those of the respiratory system represent 80% of all tumors of professional origin – replies Serraino -. It is well known that occupational exposure to asbestos fibers in recent decades is the main cause of occupational tumors (the use of asbestos has been prohibited in Italy for many years): pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma and lung tumors. There are numerous activities that in the past have exposed workers to the risk of asbestos-related diseases: in shipyards, in the maintenance of means of transport, as well as in refineries, in the production of electricity, in the textile industry and in other sectors. Since 2009, ovarian cancer has also been added to the list of cancers caused by asbestos exposure. Other tumors of occupational origin include those of the nasal cavities (wood industry, leather processing), of the bladder (refineries, leather processing), of the digestive system (metal industry)”.
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January 11, 2024 (modified January 11, 2024 | 10:08)
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