title: The global burden of disease due to occupational carcinogens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The worldwide mortality and morbidity from lung cancer, leukemia, and malignant mesothelioma arising from occupational exposures to carcinogens are described. Cases reported in the year 2000 that resulted from relevant past and current exposures are assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The proportions of workers exposed to the carcinogens of interest, and their levels of exposure, were estimated using workforce data and the CAREX (CARcinogen EXposure) database. These were combined with relative risk measures (for lung cancer and leukemia) or absolute risk measures (for malignant mesothelioma) to develop estimates of deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and attributable fraction (for lung cancer and leukemia).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were an estimated 152,000 deaths (lung cancer: 102,000; leukemia: 7,000; and malignant mesothelioma: 43,000) and nearly 1.6 million DALYS (lung cancer: 969,000; leukemia: 101,000; and malignant mesothelioma: 564,000) due to exposure to occupational carcinogens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Occupational carcinogens are an important cause of death and disability worldwide.
authors.affiliation: ELMATOM Pty Ltd., Sydney, Australia. timd@health.usyd.edu.au
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Driscoll
authors.forename: Deborah Imel
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Kyle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Steenland
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leigh
authors.forename: Marisol
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Concha-Barrientos
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fingerhut
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prüss-Ustün
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002273:Carcinogens; D019992:Databases as Topic; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens