Getting cancer at work: the causes and who is most at risk

«The tumors most correlated with work activity I am mesothelioma and cancer of the nasal and paranasal sinuses – explains Alessandro Marinaccio, director of the Inail Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Laboratory —. The first can arise in different organs (pleura, peritoneum, pericardium and testicle) and is largely caused by exposure to asbestos (material banned in our country since 1992, with the prohibition of any extraction, processing, trade and import activity). There are approximately 1,800 new cases of mesothelioma registered every year in our country and 500 those of sinus-nasal cancer, rare in the general population, but relatively common in those who work wood and leather dust. Also for other types of cancer (lung, bladder, larynx, blood) the work sector can play an important role. Finally, they should not be forgotten skin cancers caused by solar radiation: the most vulnerable population groups certainly include workers in the agriculture, construction and fishing sectors. And, more generally, all workers who work in the open air.”