New study to assess burden of workplace cancer

Ontario needs a better estimate of the impact of workplace cancers

To date, there have been no comprehensive studies that have attempted to estimate how many work-related cancers occur in Ontario or Canada-wide. On March 23, 2011 the Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC) is holding a symposium on assessing the human impact of workplace cancer.

At this symposium, the OCRC will announce the launch of a new study to assess the burden of workplace cancer in Ontario and the rest of Canada. This is the first attempt to estimate how many work-related cancers occur in Ontario or Canada-wide and will incorporate the most recent scientific methods used in other jurisdictions.

Workplace cancer leads to deaths, sickness, and lost years of life as well as the economic costs associated with causes such as workplace carcinogens. 

The OCRC, based in Cancer Care Ontario, was established to fill gaps in the knowledge of work-related cancers and to use its findings to inform preventive programs to control exposures and improve the health of workers. Established in 2009, the OCRC is the first research unit in Canada, and one of the only a few in the world, to focus solely on workplace cancer.

"In a clinic, or under a microscope, cancers generally look the same, regardless of what caused them," says Paul Demers, Director, Occupational Cancer Research Centre. "In addition, most physicians are not trained to recognize work-related cancer and patients may be unaware that they were exposed to a carcinogen many years earlier."

Three speakers who led efforts to estimate the burden of workplace carcinogens in the United States (Dr. Kyle Steenland), the United Kingdom (Dr. Lesley Rushton), and Alberta (Mr. Patrick Curly) will be among those presenting at the symposium. If the predictions of these three studies prove to be applicable to Ontario cancer rates, we expect to find that an estimated 500-2300 Ontarians die of workplace cancer each year.

OCRC Research Day:
Assessing the Human and Economic Burden of Occupational Cancer