Estimates of the recent and future burden of occupational diseases indicate that occupational cancer is still a major problem and will remain so in the future as a result of workers' exposure to carcinogens. Occupational cancer is a problem that needs to be tackled across the European Union. This report provides an overview of the assessment tools for exposure to cancer risk factors and looks into relevant occupational factors: chemical, physical and biological exposures, as well as other possibly carcinogenic working environments (such as shift and night work). It also examines the potential opportunities for identifying new causes and/or promoters of cancer and evaluates existing sources of information, with the aim of identifying major knowledge gaps and describing some new approaches needed to assess and prevent occupational cancer risks. It also describes occupational cancer prevention measures at European, national and workplace levels and makes recommendations for how the gaps in the relevant knowledge can be filled to effectively prevent future risks of occupational cancer. The issue of vulnerable groups of workers (for example women, young workers, workers experiencing high exposure to carcinogens and workers in precarious conditions) is also addressed.
Gases: Vinyl chloride, Formaldehyde. Liquids, volatile: Trichloroethylene, Tetrachloroethylene, Methylchloride, Styrene, Benzene, Xylene.
Liquids, non-volatile; Metalworking fluids; Mineral oils; Hair dyes. Solids, dust: Silica, Wood dust, Talc containing asbestiform fibres.
Solids, fibres: Asbestos Man-made mineral fibres, for example ceramic fibres. Solids: Lead, Nickel compounds, Chromium VI compounds, Arsenic, Beryllium, Cadmium, Carbon black, Bitumen.
Fumes, smoke: Welding fumes, Diesel emissions, Coal tar fumes, Bitumen fumes, Fire, combustion emissions, PAHs, Tobacco smoke.
Halogenated organic compounds: DDT, Ethylene dibromide.
Antineoplastic drugs: MOPP (Mustargen, oncovin, procarbazine and prednisone, a combination chemotherapy regimen used to treat Hodgkin’s disease), Anaesthetics