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theijcs.com The IJCS / Vol 1 / Issue 1

Environmental & Occupational Cancers - How to Deal Environmental Hazards??

Dr (Prof.) Meenu Gupta
Swami Rama Himalayan University, Dehradun, INDIA

Contributing Authors Affiliations:
N/A

Occupational cancer is caused by the exposure to carcinogens at the workplace.Occupational cancer is
specifically attributed to significant level of exposure to an antigen in the work place and occurring among

substantial (> 10,000 number of workers) number of workers . IARC classified groups of chemicals, mixtures,
and specific exposures in the human environment as carcinogenic for humans. WHO defined 19 % of all cancer

cases are attributable to the environment including the work place. The risk of developing cancer depends on
many factors, including the mode of exposure to a known carcinogen, and the length and intensity of the

exposure. Avoiding or reducing exposure to risk determinants will result in a decrease in cancer risk.Various
occupational and environmental carcinogens like benzene,smoke, radon , arsenic, asbestos and natural or man
made radiation can lead to leukemias, lung , skin, liver , breast, thyroid and other malignancies. Genetic and

environmental factors can be synergestic in development of cancer. Occupational exposures are avoidable
hazards to which individuals are involuntarily exposed. For chemical exposures ,regulations for substitution and

phasing out of replaceable chemicals, reducing the use of carcinogenic substances in the workplace by
replacing them with less dangerous substances, or encapsulation and closed processes ,ventilation, filtration

,cleaning, or controlling the amount of carcinogens in the working environment can be done. Occupational
radiation protection can be done by shielding, time and distance to the source, limits for the effective dose in

workers of 20 mSv/y and dose monitoring systems regulations. Application of the ALARA principle to exposures
"As Low As Reasonably Achievable" is helpful. Medical surveillance of workers with regular preplacement and
periodic examination can help in prevention of this burden .Raising awareness among health professionals,

clinicians ,public health officers and public partnership in awareness schemes about the links between
environmental and occupational exposures and cancer disease can achieve number of ends.

Corresponding Author
Dr (Prof.) Meenu Gupta
MD (Radiotherapy), and Ex Fellow M.D Anderson Cancer Center Texas USA,
Cancer Research Institute,
Swami Rama Himalayan University, Dehradun,INDIA
Email : meenugupta.786@rediffmail.com

The Integrated Indian Journal of Cancer Sciences