1. Available at http://www.cancercare.on.ca/cancerfacts.
Canadian team working to identify the most important workplace carcinogens (Dec. 2013)
Occupational exposures are important and preventable causes of cancer.
Scientists at the Occupational Cancer Research Centre and across Canada are investigating the number and economic impact of cancers caused by occupational exposures.
The study results will be used to promote cancer prevention and reduction of workplace exposures.
The Occupational Cancer Research Centre, based at Cancer Care Ontario, is leading a new initiative to prevent workplace cancers.
Researchers from across Canada are collaborating to find out how many cancer cases and deaths are related to cancer-causing agents in Canadian workplaces, and to examine the economic impact of workplace cancers on society. It has long been known that occupational exposures cause cancer, and this project will identify priority workplace carcinogens. This will provide policymakers and health advocates with much-needed information to work toward reduction of workplace-related causes of cancer. The results will also be used to raise awareness of this issue among employer and labour representatives and health care professionals.
This work involves calculating burden estimates for 44 workplace agents causing a total of 27 cancers (see the figure provided), chosen based on an assessment of carcinogenicity in humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.1
This study will use four sources of data:
Epidemiologic studies: The amount of risk associated with each exposure and cancer site will be selected from the published literature.
Exposure data: Exposure levels and the number of workers affected by each cancer-causing agent will be based on CAREX Canada estimates, a database of measurements taken in Canadian workplaces and other exposure data sources.
Labour force data: The number of workers employed in each industry and occupation will be taken from the Census of Population. Labour force characteristics, such as age and tenure distribution, will be calculated using Labour Force Survey data.
Cancer statistics: The number of newly diagnosed cancers and cancer deaths by cancer site, sex and province will be based on Canadian Cancer Registry data.
The cancers linked to occupational carcinogens will be calculated by cancer site, sex, province, industry and occupation. This research will incorporate work conducted by CAREX Canada, a research organization that focuses on estimating occupational exposures in Canada, and will build on the methods of a similar study recently done in the UK.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada.3 Many cancer prevention efforts have been aimed at individual-level risk factors, but it is also important to acknowledge population-level risk factors, such as occupational exposure to asbestos, silica or benzene. Non-traditional exposures, such as shift work, are also becoming widespread and emerging concerns.
Approximately 60 of the 177 known human carcinogens are considered occupational,4 and cancers are the leading cause of work-related deaths in Canada, surpassing traumatic injuries and disorders.5,6 Measuring the burden of occupational cancer is one of the ways the OCRC is working towards a cancer-free workplace.
This study is funded by the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute Multi-sector Team Grant in Prevention Research (Grant #701285).
For updates on the burden project and information about the OCRC, visit
For more information on the CAREX Canada project, visit
References
Cancer Care Ontario. Cancer Fact: Putting carcinogens into context: understanding the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s ratings. February Available at
Rushton L, Hutchings SJ, Furtunato L, et al. Occupational cancer burden in Great Britain. Br J Cancer 2012;107:S3-S7.
Statistics Canada. Table : Leading causes of death, total population, by age group and sex, Canada, annual, CANSIM (database).
Siemiatycki J, Richardson L, Straif K, et al. Listing occupational carcinogens. Environ Health Perspect 2004;112(15):144759.
Del Bianco A, Demers PA. Trends in compensation for deaths from occupational cancer in Canada: a descriptive study. Can Med Assoc J Open 2013;1(3);E1–E6. doi: /cmajo
Cancer Care Ontario. Cancer Fact: Occupational cancer is the leading cause of work-related fatalities in Ontario. April 2012 (Special edition). Available at
Citation: Cancer Care Ontario. Cancer Fact. Canadian team working to identify the most important workplace carcinogens. December 2013.
Available at
Prepared by staff in Prevention and Cancer Control.