Editorial: Occupation and cancer: new insights into burden, risk factors, and prevention

Abstract

Abstract: Occupational cancers (OC) are the result of exposure to carcinogenic agents at the workplace. The most frequent types of OC are lung cancer, mesothelioma, bladder cancer, and non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) (1, 2). More than 40 years ago, Doll and Peto (3) estimated, with a relatively large degree of uncertainty, that ~4% of all cancer cases were attributable to occupational exposures. Although job characteristics and occupational exposures have changed considerably during the past four decades, this estimation is still widely accepted with the caveat that updated estimates are urgently needed. Nevertheless, only a fraction of OCs are recognized and recorded in most countries. With the possible exception of mesothelioma, all the other OCs are largely under-reported as occupational diseases to the national health authorities. Indeed, many countries, especially developing countries, where exposures to occupational carcinogens may be higher, have not yet established cancer registries that collect data on occupational history. An additional challenge of discovering occupational etiology relates to the fact that cancer is a disease with a long preclinical phase and many OCs are diagnosed after retirement. Hence, this Research Topic aimed to deepen and widen knowledge on OC, in order to raise awareness among all interested stakeholders, including workers, occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals, and policymakers, with the overall goal of preventing these occupational diseases.