Occupational cancer illness in Brazil: an integrative literature review

The present study aimed to investigate data from the scientific literature on patterns of illness due to occupational cancer in Brazil. An integrative literature review was conducted in July 2020 and reviewed in June 2021, with no time restriction, using the Health Science Descriptors "Neoplasms," "Occupational Risks," "Occupational Cancer," and keywords related, which were searched on the following databases: Latin American Literature in Health Sciences, SciELO, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. The search and selection flow followed that recommended by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement - 2020. Six manuscripts were selected, published from 1995 to 2019, which described occupational cancer affecting lung, oral cavity, pharynx and larynx, central nervous system, and skin. There was a time gap between the studies, and only the one involving lung cancer results on the most prevalent pattern of illness in the industrial sector, compared to the non-industrial. A shortage of scientific articles on patterns of illness was found. There was a predominance of scientific publications referring to occupational cancer illness related to the industrial sector compared to the number of publications directed to the primary and tertiary productive sectors. It is worth noting the constant need for research and epidemiological surveys to promote surveillance and protective actions aimed at occupational health.