Carcinogens in the News

Statistics Canada – In 2019, the rate of new cancer diagnoses increased from 547.5 to 550.2 cases per 100,000 Canadians, according to data from Canadian Cancer Registry (CCR), the country’s national cancer database. In keeping with the previous years, the five most commonly diagnosed cancers remained those of the breast (13%), lung and bronchus (12%), prostate (11%), colorectal (10%) and urinary bladder (5%).

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The Lancet – Results show that 44% of global cancer deaths and 42% of global cancer disability-adjusted life-years were attributable to estimated risk factors in 2019. Most attributable cancer disability-adjusted life-years were accounted for by behavioural risk factors, such as tobacco use, alcohol use, unsafe sex, and dietary risks. For environmental and occupational risks, the cancer disability-adjusted life-years attributable to occupational carcinogens were three times higher among males than females, which might reflect that males are more likely than females to be employed in workplaces with higher risk of exposure to carcinogens.

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Newswire – This summer, free public sunscreen dispensers are coming to locations across Canada as part of a pilot project to fight skin cancer by making sunscreen more accessible. “Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers and also one of the most preventable,” said Dr. Cheryl Peters, Senior Scientist for Cancer Prevention at BC Cancer and the BC Centre for Disease Control. “Increasing the availability and accessibility of sun safety protections, such as sun screen, in a variety of recreational and occupational settings can help reduce the risk for skin cancer.”

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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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International 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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