Actualités cancérogènes

Environmental Epidemiology – Ambient air pollution is a human carcinogen and a possible risk factor for prostate cancer. Authors investigated associations between ambient concentrations particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and incident prostate cancer in a Canadian case-control study. Results show a positive associations between exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 over the previous 20 years and prostate cancer.

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nternational Agency for Research on Cancer – The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), has evaluated the carcinogenicity of occupational exposure as a firefighter. After thoroughly reviewing the available scientific literature, the Working Group classified occupational exposure as a firefighter as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), on the basis of sufficient evidence for cancer in humans for the following cancer types: mesothelioma and bladder cancer.

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Health Effects Institute – A comprehensive new scientific review released today by the Health Effects Institute (HEI) found growing confidence in the links between several adverse health effects and traffic related air pollution (TRAP). The review found a high or moderate-to-high level of confidence in an association between long-term exposure to TRAP and the adverse health outcomes all-cause, circulatory, ischemic heart disease, and lung cancer mortality; asthma onset in both children and adults; and acute lower respiratory infections in children.

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McGill Newsroom – A new study from McGill University finds higher incidence of lung cancer and brain tumors in people exposed to wildfires. Published in The Lancet Planetary Health, the study shows that people living within 50-kilometer of wildfires over the past 10 years had a 10 per cent higher incidence of brain tumors and 4.9 per cent higher incidence of lung cancer, compared to people living further away.

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Government of Ontario – The Ontario government is working for workers by launching the first-ever review of the province’s occupational illness system. The review will evaluate how occupational illnesses in Ontario are identified, monitored, and prevented. The system-wide study, expected in December of this year, will focus on finding and fixing roadblocks and complexities that were identified by Dr. Paul Demers in the 2020 independent review of occupational disease.

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Frontiers in Public Health – Young workers, those under the age of 25, are considered a vulnerable working population, primarily due to their increased risk of injury. In this study we investigate if young workers may also be at an increased risk for occupational exposure to carcinogens. While there is no data available to develop carcinogen exposure estimates specific to young workers, it is our perspective that young workers are likely at a higher risk for occupational exposure to carcinogens.

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International Atomic Energy Agency – While ionizing radiation exposure is commonly associated with those working in the nuclear field or dealing with radioactive sources, workers in other professions – such as miners, aircrew, researchers, and healthcare professionals – may also face similar risk hazards for which effective radiation protection measures need to be in place. The IAEA has released a technical publication that provides specific guidance on how to assess the cancer risks of those associated with exposure to radiation in the course of their work.

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International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health – Nasopharynx cancers and sinonasal cancers are two cancers that can be caused by occupational exposure to wood dust, but there is little evidence regarding their burden in Canada. Authors of this study estimated that from 235 newly diagnosed cases of nasopharynx cancers and 245 newly diagnosed cases of sinonasal cancers, 4.6% and 4.4% were attributed to occupational exposure to wood dust, respectively.

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National Observer – A new law could soon see toxic chemicals undergo more rigorous assessments aimed at better protecting vulnerable Canadians, the Trudeau government has announced. The proposed bill would bring in sweeping changes to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). It would fast-track the regulatory process for particularly harmful chemicals, making it easier to restrict their use; encourage companies to avoid toxic chemicals entirely; and force manufacturers to be more transparent about the chemicals used in their products. Under the proposed bill, the federal government would “recognize” that every Canadian has a right to a healthy environment and have a duty to protect it.
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International Atomic Energy Agency​ – The newly released IAEA report No. 104 Radiation Protection and Safety in Veterinary Medicine from the Safety Report Series, provides advice for professionals in veterinary uses of radiation to help them safely carry out their work. “In a fragmented regulatory landscape with different training requirements, this document is a clear step forward in the harmonization of the use of radiation sources in veterinary medicine,” said Kathelijne Peremans, a European specialist in veterinary diagnostic imaging based at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Ghent University, Belgium.
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National Observer – Air pollutants have cost Canada $120 billion per year, according to recently released figures from Health Canada, a toll that roughly equals the value of all oil and gas exports. The health burden from pollutants in the air that come from industrial activities like oil and gas extraction, mining, manufacturing, construction, and transportation — as well as natural events like forest fires — contributed to 15,300 premature Canadian deaths in 2016, the most recent year figures are available.
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Nature – Residential buildings can concentrate radioactive radon gas, exposing occupants to particle radiation that increases lung cancer risk. This has worsened over time in North America, with newer residences containing greater radon. Notably, residences built in the twenty-first century are occupied by significantly younger people experiencing greater radiation dose rates from radon, relative to older groups more likely to occupy twentieth century-built properties. Newer, higher radon-containing properties are also more likely to have minors, pregnant women and an overall higher number of occupants living there full time.
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NPR – Tens of millions of Americans experienced at least a day last year shrouded in wildfire smoke. Entire cities were blanketed, in some cases for weeks, as unprecedented wildfires tore across the Western U.S., causing increases in hospitalizations for respiratory emergencies and concerns about people’s longer-term health. A new study finds those concerns are well founded. Researchers say that the tiny particles released in wildfire smoke are up to 10 times more harmful to humans than particles released from other sources, such as car exhaust.
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BMC Women’s Health – This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to update the current evidence regarding the relationship between night-shift work duration and breast cancer risk. Based on the overall evaluation of 26 eligible articles, in the short-term night-shift workers, the risk of breast cancer was increased (RR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.03–1.24), but the increase did not observe in the long-term night-shift workers (RR = 1.08, 95% CI 0.99–1.17). The researchers suggest further studies with adequate information and exact definition regarding night shift work and its duration.
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Annals of Work Exposures and Health​ – The widespread application of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, commonly known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, have raised concerns regarding the possible health implications. This review evaluates available data concerning exposure assessment in workplaces and possible effects of 3D printing emissions on humans. The literature demonstrated that a significant fraction of the particles released during 3D printing could be in the ultrafine size range, and increased levels of metals and volatile organic compounds could be detected during AM operations.
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