title: Occupational exposure to carcinogens: Benzene, pesticides and fibers (Review).
abstract: It is well known that the occupational exposure to contaminants and carcinogens leads to the development of cancer in exposed workers. In the 18th century, Percivall Pott was the first to hypothesize that chronic exposure to dust in the London chimney sweeps was associated with an increased risk of developing cancer. Subsequently a growing body of evidence indicated that other physical factors were also responsible for oncogenic mutations. Over the past decades, many carcinogens have been found in the occupational environment and their presence is often associated with an increased incidence of cancer. Occupational exposure involves several factors and the association between carcinogens, occupational exposure and cancer is still unclear. Only a fraction of factors is recognized as occupational carcinogens and for each factor, there is an increased risk of cancer development associated with a specific work activity. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the majority of carcinogens are classified as 'probable' and 'possible' human carcinogens, while, direct evidence of carcinogenicity is provided in epidemiological and experimental studies. In the present review, exposures to benzene, pesticides and mineral fibers are discussed as the most important cancer risk factors during work activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of General and Clinical Pathology and Oncology, University of Catania, I‑95124 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Falzone
authors.affiliation: Section of Occupational Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, I‑95124 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marconi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Human Anatomy and Histology Section, School of Medicine, University of Catania, I‑95124 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Loreto
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technology Sciences 'G.F. Ingrassia', University of Catania, I‑95124 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion 71003, Greece.
authors.forename: Demetrios A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Spandidos
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of General and Clinical Pathology and Oncology, University of Catania, I‑95124 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Libra
mesh_terms: D001554:Benzene / Q000633:toxicity; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000633:toxicity; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D010575:Pesticides; D001554:Benzene