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Quatrième Code européen contre le cancer : environnement, profession et cancer

4th European Code against cancer: Environment, occupation and cancer

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Psycho-Oncologie

Résumé

Au cours de leur vie, les personnes sont exposées à de nombreux polluants environnementaux et professionnels à leur domicile, sur leur lieu de travail ou par le biais de l’environnement. Ces expositions ne peuvent normalement être directement contrôlées par les individus eux-mêmes. Des liens de causalité ont été établis entre un certain nombre de substances chimiques, de métaux, de poussières, de fibres et de professions et un risque accru de cancers spécifiques tels que le cancer du poumon, le cancer de la peau, le cancer de la vessie et le mésothéliome. Une quantité considérable de polluants atmosphériques, principalement issus du trafic routier et de l’industrie, continue à être émise dans l’Union européenne (UE). Une plus grande survenue de cancers du poumon a été imputée à la pollution atmosphérique, y compris dans les régions situées en dessous des valeurs limites de pollution atmosphérique définies par l’UE. De surcroît, un grand nombre de pesticides ainsi que de substances chimiques utilisées dans l’industrie et dans les foyers peuvent conduire à une exposition humaine généralisée, principalement par le biais de la nourriture et de l’eau de boisson. Pour la plupart des polluants de l’environnement, la réglementation et les actions communes visant à réduire et éliminer les expositions constituent les mesures les plus efficaces. Il est toutefois crucial d’attirer l’attention du public sur les cancérogènes professionnels ou environnementaux afin de motiver les personnes à contribuer activement aux actions de protection et de soutien visant à réduire la pollution. La réglementation n’est pas la même dans tous les pays membres de l’UE et les mesures de protection sur le lieu de travail ne sont pas systématiquement et constamment mises en œuvre par tous les travailleurs. Il est nécessaire de s’assurer en permanence que les réglementations sont appliquées et respectées. Pour cette raison, la recommandation en matière d’environnement et de profession de la quatrième édition du Code européen contre le cancer qui se concentre sur ce que peuvent faire les individus pour réduire leur risque de cancer est la suivante : « Suivez les consignes de santé et de sécurité sur votre lieu de travail pour vous protéger des substances cancérogènes ».

Abstract

People are exposed throughout life to a wide range of environmental and occupational pollutants from different sources at home, in the workplace, or in the general environment. These exposures cannot normally be directly controlled by the individual. Several chemicals, metals, dusts, fibers, and occupations have been established to be causally associated with an increased risk of specific cancers, such as cancers of the lung, skin, and urinary bladder, and mesothelioma. Significant amounts of air pollutants—mainly from road transport and industry—continue to be emitted in the European Union (EU); an increased occurrence of lung cancer has been attributed to air pollution even in areas below the EU limits for daily air pollution. Additionally, a wide range of pesticides as well as industrial and household chemicalsmay lead to widespread human exposure, mainly through food and water. For most environmental pollutants, the most effective measures are regulations and community actions aimed at reducing and eliminating the exposures. Thus, it is imperative to raise awareness about environmental and occupational carcinogens in order to motivate individuals to be proactive in advocating protection and supporting initiatives aimed at reducing pollution. Regulations are not homogeneous across EU countries, and protective measures in the workplace are not used consistently by all workers all the time; compliance with regulations needs to be continuously monitored and enforced. Therefore, the recommendation on Environment and Occupation of the 4th edition of the European Code against Cancer, focusing on what individuals can do to reduce their cancer risk, reads: “In the workplace, protect yourself against cancer-causing substances by following health and safety instructions.”

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Abbreviations

FA:

fraction attribuable

RFB:

retardateurs de flammes bromés

DDT:

dichlorodiphényltrichloroéthane

ESCAPE:

Étude européenne de cohortes sur les effets de la pollution de l’air

UE:

Union européenne

HR:

rapport de risque (hazard ratio)

CIRC:

Centre international de Recherche sur le Cancer

PM10 :

matières particulaires avec un diamètre de 10 micromètres ou moins

PM2,5 :

matières particulaires avec un diamètre de 2,5 micromètres ou moins

HAP:

hydrocarbures aromatiques polycycliques

PBB:

polybromobiphényles

PBDE:

polybromodiphényléthers

PCB:

polychlorobiphényles

PCDD/F:

polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxines et -furanes

POP:

polluants organiques persistants

REACH:

enregistrement, évaluation, autorisation et restriction des substances chimiques

TCDD:

2,3,7,8-tétrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxine

RU:

Royaume-Uni

OMS:

Organisation mondiale de la santé

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Correspondence to J. Schüz.

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Cet article est une traduction française d’un article publié en anglais dans le Journal Cancer Epidemiology : Espina C, Straif K, Friis S, et al (2015) European Code against Cancer 4th edition: Environment, occupation and cancer. Cancer Epidemiol 39:S84–S92. doi: 10.1016/j.canep.2015.03.017. Epub 2015 Jul 9. La traduction française a été réalisée par Hugues Dietz, traducteur indépendant, sous la responsabilité de Julien Carretier (centre Léon-Bérard, département Cancer Environnement).

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Espina, C., Straif, K., Friis, S. et al. Quatrième Code européen contre le cancer : environnement, profession et cancer. Psycho Oncologie 10, 150–164 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11839-016-0579-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11839-016-0579-x

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