Priorities for development of research methods in occupational cancer.

Occupational cancer research methods was identified in 1996 as 1 of 21 priority research areas in the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). To implement NORA, teams of experts from various sectors were formed and given the charge to further define research needs and develop strategies to enhance or augment research in each priority area. This article is a product of that process. Focus on occupational cancer research methods is important both because occupational factors play a significant role in a number of cancers, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality, and also because occupational cohorts (because of higher exposure levels) often provide unique opportunities to evaluate health effects of environmental toxicants and understand the carcinogenic process in humans. Despite an explosion of new methods for cancer research in general, these have not been widely applied to occupational cancer research. In this article we identify needs and gaps in occupational cancer research methods in four broad areas: identification of occupational carcinogens, design of epidemiologic studies, risk assessment, and primary and secondary prevention. Progress in occupational cancer will require interdisciplinary research involving epidemiologists, industrial hygienists, toxicologists, and molecular biologists

Les cancers professionnels (à l'exception de l'amiante)

More than half of the recognized carcinogens are from occupational origin and in France about 2 million of workers are exposed. Almost every site of cancer may be involved, the lung being the most frequent organ followed by the bladder, the skin, leukemia, the nose, the liver and the larynx. While several thousands of cases occur each year in France, only 15 to 30% are compensated. Occupational exposure contributes largely to the social inequalities in cancer incidence and mortality. However, occupational cancer could be largely prevented through the elimination of the most toxic occupational exposures and the control of exposure levels