Enviromental & occupational

A carcinogen is something that causes cancer. Contact with certain harmful substances in the workplace can cause cancer.

We know, for example, that 9 out of 10 people who develop mesothelioma (a rare type of cancer affecting the linings of the lung and abdomen) have had contact with asbestos. People who have worked in industries such as ship- building and construction may have come into contact with asbestos. Its use is now banned in this country. For further information about this type of cancer look in our Mesothelioma information centre.

Another example is exposure to certain chemicals in the workplace; those used in dye factories, rubber, gas works and other chemical industries have all been linked to bladder cancer. These chemicals have now been banned. See our bladder cancer information centre for further information about this type of cancer.

Environmental causes include natural radiation, for example, from the sun. We know that most skin cancers are caused because of prolonged exposure to the sun.

It is important to remember that we don’t know the cause of many cancers and that there is often more than one cause. Also, although cancer can occur at any age, one of the biggest risks of it developing is increasing age.

In this section, there are a number of questions and answers about environmental and occupational causes of cancer.