Epidemiological profile of work-related cancers in Brazil in 2022

Introduction: Work-related cancer encompasses all neoplasms caused by exposure to risk agents and situations in the work environment and processes, even after exposure has ceased. In Brazil, this cancer is compulsorily notifiable in the Notifiable Diseases Information System, in accordance with the regulations of the Unified Health System, as part of a national policy aimed at workers’ health.

Objective: To describe the profile of work-related cancer cases notified in Brazil in 2022.

Method: This study describes the profile of work-related cancer cases notified in Brazil in 2022, based on data provided by the Department of Information and Informatics of the Unified Health System. The analysis considered variables such as age, diagnosis, race, gender and occupation, with data organized in Excel tables.

Results: In 2022, Brazil recorded 206 cases of work-related cancer, with men predominating (66%) in relation to women. The racial distribution showed that 57% of cases affected whites, 33% browns and 6% blacks. Among whites, the most common neoplasms were skin and breast (14% each). Between brown people, malignant neoplasms of the bronchi and lungs predominated (13%). Among blacks, malignant neoplasms of the bronchi and lungs and the prostate were equally frequent (15% each). The occupations most affected were agricultural workers (36 cases), agricultural producers (26 cases) and bricklayers (19 cases). In the middle of agricultural workers, skin neoplasms (19.4%) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (13.9%) were most common. Farmers had leukemia (15.4%) and prostate cancer (7.7%). Bricklayers had a high prevalence of neoplasms of the skin (26.3%) and bronchi and lungs (10.5%). Exposure to UV rays, benzene, formaldehyde, DDT, diazinon, glyphosate, malathion, soot, silica and tar are associated with these cancers.

Conclusion: Underreporting is a challenge for understanding the problem and formulating effective public policies. It is crucial to integrate information on occupations and exposures into patient anamnesis to improve case detection and prevention, facilitating the creation of more effective public health strategies.

Corresponding author: Julia Ernandes Cardoso (e-mail: juliaernandescds@gmail.com).