Identifying occupational carcinogens: an update from the IARC Monographs

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Carcinogenesis
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Recognizing occupational carcinogens is crucial for worker protection, cancer prevention, and public health.
• Previous lists of occupational carcinogens require updates to reflect current scientific understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To update the list of known occupational carcinogens using data from International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs (1971-2017).
• To provide details on cancer types, exposure scenarios, and routes associated with occupational carcinogens.
• To analyze trends in the identification of occupational carcinogens over time.

Main Methods:

• Data extraction from IARC Monographs (1971-2017) for agents classified as Group 1 with sufficient human evidence of carcinogenicity and documented occupational exposure.
• Inclusion criteria focused on occupational relevance and high confidence in exposure-disease causality.
• Analysis of identified agents, associated cancers, exposure routes, and temporal trends.

Main Results:

• The number of identified occupational carcinogens increased from 28 in 2004 to 47 in 2017.
• Lung, respiratory, and skin cancers are the most common associated cancers.
• Inhalation and dermal contact are the primary routes of occupational exposure.
• Most workplace exposures remain unevaluated due to limited epidemiological data.

Conclusions:

• Significant progress has been made in identifying occupational carcinogens, but the actual number is likely underestimated.
• There is an ongoing need for research into the causes of work-related cancers, particularly concerning unassessed workplace exposures.
• Effective primary prevention, compensation, and surveillance strategies depend on continued identification and characterization of occupational carcinogens.