The term ‘burden’ refers to the human impact and economic cost associated with a cause of disease. Millions of Canadians are exposed to a wide range of known and suspected carcinogens in the workplace. However, the impact of these exposures on health is not always clear. The goal of burden of occupational cancer studies is to estimate the proportion of cancers that are attributable to work-related exposures.
Burden estimates help raise awareness of the importance of occupational exposure as a cause of cancer. The impact of work on health is often under-recognized, especially for long latency diseases like cancer. Burden estimates can also help highlight priority areas for prevention, and direct attention to industries, occupations, and exposures where the greatest impact can be achieved.
Visit the links below to learn more about the current human and economic burden of occupational cancer in Canada, and the future burden of occupational cancer in the Ontario construction industry.
The Current Human Burden of Occupational Cancer in Canada
The Burden of Occupational Cancer in Canada project developed estimates of the number and proportion of current cancers caused by past exposure to the most important workplace carcinogens in Canada.
The Current Economic Burden of Occupational Cancer in Canada
The Institute for Work & Health led the analysis of the economic impact of occupational cancer in Canada.
The Future Burden of Occupational Cancer in the Ontario Construction Industry
The Future Burden study estimated the number and cost of future cancers being generated by current exposures in the Ontario construction industry, and evaluated prevention strategies to reduce these exposures.
