INAIL reported more than 3 000 occupational cancer cases in 2010, of which about 2 032 were asbestos-related cancers while 1 219 were lung and bladder cancer not linked to asbestos. Alessandro Marinaccio, a researcher for INAIL and head of the Italian National Mesothelioma Register (ReNaM) said that cancer caused by asbestos exposure accounts for approximately half of all occupational cancers in the majority of the industrialised countries.
Mr Marinaccio considers the INAIL figures to be underestimated for two main reasons: the long latency period of the diseases which are detected even after twenty or thirty years of exposure to carcinogenic and multifactorial agents; the difficulty for doctors to quickly establish a causal link between work and occupational cancer because, over the years, a number of other contributory causes such as lifestyle, smoking or genetics may intervene.
The web platform 'Prevention of cancer in the workplace' responds to the need to provide all healthcare providers - particularly family and hospital doctors - with a permanent knowledge and research tool that promotes reliable and rapid detection of occupational cancers.
Health professionals can access the restricted area SERICO (Epidemiological surveillance of occupational cancer risks - Sorveglianza Epidemiologica dei rischi cancerogeni occupazionali, in Italian) which contains a collection of research and epidemiological survey results that give such details as the most significant risks by geographic location and employment sector. The data can be weighed against extensive scientific literature and a list of all the carcinogens and mutagens classified according to international standards.
The platform also features other sections that contain useful information, including:
- 'Products': publications on occupational cancer produced as part of research activities carried out by INAIL's Department of Occupational Medicine.
- 'Legislation': references to key national and international legislation on occupational health and safety.
According to INAIL, there are over four million cases of exposure to carcinogens among a total worker population of 21 million, a figure which represents nearly a quarter of Italy's workforce. Mr Marinaccio stressed that positively identifying occupational cancer is key as it enables the development of thorough and targeted prevention policies in order to reduce the risk of future job-related illness and death.
The platform was created following an agreement signed between the Ministry of Health and the now defunct Italian National Institute for Occupational Safety and Prevention (ISPESL).
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