Occupational and environmental causes of lung cancer

Abstract

Because tobacco smoking is a potent carcinogen, secondary causes of lung cancer are often diminished in perceived importance. The goal of this review is to describe the occurrence and recent findings of the 27 agents currently listed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as lung carcinogens. The IARC's updated assessments of lung carcinogens provide a long-overdue resource for consensus opinions on the carcinogenic potential of various agents. Supplementary new information, with a focus on analytic epidemiologic studies that has become available since IARC's most recent evaluation, are also discussed.

Fig. 1

Percentage of total effective dose for the average individual in the US population from various radiation sources. Percent values rounded to the nearest 1%, except for those <1%. (Reprinted with permission of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, http://NCRPpublications.org.)

Fig. 2

Estimated number of cancer deaths in the United States for 2012. (Source: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/caac.20138/full#fig1.)

Fig. 3

The International Agency for Research on Cancer added diesel engine exhaust to the list of Group 1 carcinogens in 2012. (Courtesy of Centers for Disease Control/The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).)

Fig. 4

Worker exposure to silica during hydraulic fracturing. Silica dust created by worker conducting sand transfer operations. Photo shows sand mover and transfer system. (Courtesy of Centers for Disease Control/The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).)