ABSTRACT
The recognition of occupational cancers is often hampered by the confusion between the individual determinants of the disease and the effect at the group exposure. Here we propose an approach based on the evaluation of the attributable risk at group level aimed to quantify the respective role of multiple causes, and the individual rebounds of it.
Subject(s)
Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic , Neoplasms/etiology , Occupational Diseases/etiology , Occupational Exposure/adverse effects , Algorithms , Humans , Italy/epidemiology , Neoplasms/mortality , Occupational Diseases/mortality , Occupational Health , Risk Assessment , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: The OCCAM (Occupational Cancer Monitoring) project enabled the active detection of occupational cancer cases in Lombardy Region. METHODS: OCCAM is based on a record linkage with social security files to obtain occupational histories for all subjects having worked in private firms, since 1974. It provides risks by area, site and job. RESULTS: 271 incident cancer cases obtained by hospital discharge record in the period 2001-2002 where investigate to assess eventually their occupational origin. Approximately 38% where considered to be occupational cancers. CONCLUSIONS: OCCAM provides name of the firms and their economic activity completed by information coming from OCCAM risks ascertainment and deeper knowledge on productive cycle retained by local occupational health services. Thus this system can lead to detection of many cancer cases of occupational origin suitable for compensation and determine strategies for the improvement of the work environment.
