Occupational Cancer

Occupational cancer (or work related cancer) claims 666,000 lives a year on a global basis, according to the “No Time to Lose” website.

Cancer caused by what people do at work is nothing new. One of the first official cases of an occupational cancer was identified in the eighteenth century. Dr Percival Potts (Doctor in UK) identified that chimney sweeps had a much higher incidence of cancer due to their exposure to soot. Berndarino Ramazzini, in his book on occupational diseases (De Morbis Artificum Diatriba or Diseases of Workers), outlined the health hazards of chemicals, dust, metals, repetitive or violent motions, odd postures, and other disease-causative agents encountered by workers in 52 occupations. This was one of the founding and seminal works of occupational medicine and played a substantial role in its development.

While there are many causes of occupational cancer, the major causes are relatively well know: asbestos, silica, diesel engine fumes, and mineral oils. Some industries, such as construction, can add the effects of solar radiation (sunlight) to this list. It has been suggested that 14 agents cause about 85.6% of occupational cancers. In the UK, there were about 12,000 work related cancers in 2004 and this figure is increasing with time. It is expected to rise  to nearly 13,000 by 2060 given current trends in employment and exposure levels. Note: the ageing population is a factor.

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Diseases associated with asbestos, including occupational cancers

Asbestosis

• a serious scarring condition of the lung that normally occurs after heavy exposure to asbestos over many years. This condition can cause progressive shortness of breath, and in severe cases can be fatal.

Lung cancer

• is the same as (looks the same as) lung cancer caused by smoking and other causes. It is estimated that there is around one lung cancer for every mesothelioma death.

Mesothelioma

• is a cancer which affects the lining of the lungs (pleura) and the lining surrounding the lower digestive tract (peritoneum). It is almost exclusively related to asbestos exposure and by the time it is diagnosed, it is almost always fatal.

Pleural thickening

• is generally a problem that happens after heavy asbestos exposure. The lining of the lung (pleura) thickens and swells. If this gets worse, the lung itself can be squeezed, and can cause shortness of breath and discomfort in the chest.