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Occupational Medicine 2004 54(7):458-463; doi:10.1093/occmed/kqh098
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Occupational Medicine Vol. 54 No. 7 © Society of Occupational Medicine 2004; all rights reserved

In-depth Review

Occupational skin cancers

D. J. Gawkrodger

Department of Dermatology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK.

Skin cancer due to occupation is more common than is generally recognized, although it is difficult to obtain an accurate estimate of its prevalence. Over the past two centuries, occupational skin cancers have particularly been due to industrial exposure of men (it seems more so than women) to chemical carcinogens such as polycyclic hydrocarbons (e.g. from coal tar products) or to arsenic. Industrial processes have improved in most Western countries to limit this type of exposure, but those with outdoor occupations are still exposed to solar ultraviolet irradiation without this being widely recognized as an industrial hazard. Ionizing radiation such as X-rays can also cause skin cancer. Occupational skin cancers often resemble skin tumours found in non-occupational subjects, e.g. basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma, but some pre-malignant lesions can be more specific and point to an occupational origin, e.g. tar keratoses or arsenical keratoses. An uncommon but well-recognized cause of occupational skin cancer is that which results from scar formation following an industrial burn. In the future it will be necessary to focus on preventative measures, e.g. for outdoor workers, the need to cover up in the sun and use sun protective creams and a campaign for earlier recognition of skin cancers, which are usually curable if treated in their early stages.

Keywords      Arsenic; burn scar; carcinogen; coal tar; ionizing radiation; occupation; outdoor worker; polycyclic hydrocarbons; skin cancer; ultraviolet radiation

Received       10 December 2003
Revised          1 March 2004
Accepted        3 June 2004

Correspondence to: Professor D. J. Gawkrodger, Department of Dermatology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK. Tel: +44 114 271 2203; fax: +44 114 271 3763; e-mail: david.gawkrodger{at}sth.nhs.uk


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