Lung cancer related to occupational exposure: an integrative review

Abstract

Objective: To identify in the literature the carcinogenic agents found in the work environment, the occupations and the risk for lung cancer.

Method: A descriptive and analytical study of the Integrative Literature Review type was carried out in national and international databases from the last ten years in the period from 2009 to 2018, concerning 32 studies referring to association between carcinogenic substances to which the worker is exposed and lung cancer.

Results: Nine (28.1%) publications originated in China and only one in Brazil. The most exposed workers were from the secondary sector, 50% being from industry and 6.2% from construction, mostly male. Asbestos and silica stood out among the carcinogenic substances most associated with lung cancer risk, accounting for 37.5% and 28.1%, respectively.

Conclusions: The association between occupational exposure and the risk for lung cancer was characterized in this research by the substantial scientific evidence from the described studies that confirm this association.