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Occupational and Environmental Carcinogenesis

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A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2024 | Viewed by 35771

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Dr. Caterina Ledda

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Collection Editor

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Interests: occupational medicine; occupational epidemiology; workplace health promotion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Venerando Rapisarda

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Collection Editor

Occupational Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
Interests: occupational medicine; health promotion; vaccine-preventable diseases risk mitigation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Dear Colleagues,

Carcinogenesis is a complex, multistep process, involving the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations that confer growth and/or survival advantages, through which cells gradually achieve unchecked growth and eventually become fully malignant and invasive. There are numerous sources of physical, chemical, and biological exposures that stem from endogenous and exogenous sources—including occupational and environmental settings—that can induce such genetic and epigenetic alterations. This damage is repaired through a high-fidelity DNA repair process that operates through multiple pathways, although the system is imperfect and varies by repair mechanism, potentially resulting in the incorporation of DNA damage and epigenetic alterations.

Any substance that causes cancer is referred to as a carcinogen. If allowed to accumulate in the body for an extended period of time, there is a greater likelihood your cells will become damaged, which results in the growth of cancer cells.

Some of these changes in our cells may be caused by genetics, while others may be caused by environmental and occupational factors. Environmental and occupational factors can include a wide range of exposures, such as the following:

Lifestyle factors (nutrition, tobacco use, physical activity)
Natural occurring exposures (ultraviolet light, radon gas, infectious agents)
Medical treatments (radiation and medicine)
Workplace and household exposures
Pollution
Asbestos
Formaldehyde
Radon
Wood dust

Furthermore, it is relevant to study the epidemiology of probable/possible carcinogens in order to clarify the real effects on health.

In conclusion, the objective of this Special Issue is to clarify aspects related to carcinogenesis and occupational and/or environmental exposure.
Therefore in silico, in vitro, ex vivo, epidemiological studies and reviews are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Caterina Ledda
Prof. Dr. Venerando Rapisarda
Collection Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

occupational
environmental
exposure
workplace
epigenetics

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 158 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Occupational and Environmental Carcinogenesis

by Caterina Ledda and Venerando Rapisarda

Cancers 2020, 12(9), 2547; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12092547 - 08 Sep 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2520

Abstract

Occupational carcinogens have been shown to cause a considerable disease burden at a national and global level [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational and Environmental Carcinogenesis)

Research

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14 pages, 1590 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Association between Smoking and Mortality in Women with Breast Cancer: A Real-World Database Analysis

by Yi-Chen Lai, Yu-Han Chen, Yu-Cih Wu, Fu-Wen Liang, Jhi-Joung Wang, Sher-Wei Lim and Chung-Han Ho

Cancers 2022, 14(19), 4565; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14194565 - 20 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1571

Abstract

Smoking increases the cancer-specific and overall mortality risk in women with breast cancer (BC). However, the effect of smoking cessation remains controversial, and detailed research is lacking in Asia. We aimed to investigate the association between smoking status and mortality in women with BC using the population-based cancer registry. The Taiwan Cancer Registry was used to identify women with BC from 2011 to 2017. A total of 54,614 women with BC were enrolled, including 1687 smokers and 52,927 non-smokers. The outcome, mortality, was identified using Taiwan’s cause-of-death database. The association between smoking status and mortality was estimated using Cox proportional regression. Women with BC who smoked had a 1.25-fold higher (95% C.I.: 1.08–1.45; p = 0.0022) risk of overall mortality and a 1.22-fold higher (95% C.I.: 1.04–1.44; p = 0.0168) risk of cancer-specific mortality compared with non-smokers. The stratified analysis also indicated that women with BC who smoked showed a significantly higher overall mortality risk (HR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.01–1.43; p = 0.0408) than women with BC who did not smoke among women without comorbidities. Additionally, current smokers had a 1.57-fold higher risk (95% CI: 1.02–2.42; p = 0.0407) of overall mortality compared with ever smokers among women with BC who smoked. It was shown that a current smoking status is significantly associated with an increase in overall and cancer-specific mortality risk in women with BC. Quitting smoking could reduce one’s mortality risk. Our results underscore the importance of smoking cessation for women with BC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational and Environmental Carcinogenesis)

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15 pages, 1372 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association between Serum Level of Multiple Trace Elements and Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Risk: A Case–Control Study in China

by Jingbing Zhang, Geng Wang, Anyan Huang, Kexin Cao, Wei Tan, Hui Geng, Xiaosheng Lin, Fulan Zhan, Kusheng Wu, Shukai Zheng and Caixia Liu

Cancers 2022, 14(17), 4239; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14174239 - 31 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1641

Abstract

We investigated the associations between multiple serum trace element levels and risk for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). A total of 185 ESCC patients and 191 healthy individuals were recruited in our study. The concentration of 13 trace elements (Al, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Cd and Pb) in serum was determined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Logistic regression and the Probit extension of Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) models was established to explore the associations and the cumulative and mixed effects of multiple trace elements on ESCC. Three elements (Zn, Se and Sr) displayed a negative trend with risk for ESCC, and a significant overall effect of the mixture of Al, V, Mn, Ni, Zn, Se and Sr on ESCC was found, with the effects of V, Ni and Sr being nonlinear. Bivariate exposure–response interactions among these trace elements indicated a synergistic effect between Zn and Se, and an impactful difference of V combined with Ni, Sr or Zn. Our results indicate that Ni, V, Al, Mn, Zn, Se and Sr are associated with ESCC risk, providing additional evidence of the complex effects of trace elements disorder during the etiology of EC development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational and Environmental Carcinogenesis)

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10 pages, 278 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Early Alcohol Use Initiation, Obesity, Not Breastfeeding, and Residence in a Rural Area as Risk Factors for Breast Cancer: A Case-Control Study

by Dorota Anna Dydjow-Bendek and Paweł Zagożdżon

Cancers 2021, 13(16), 3925; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13163925 - 04 Aug 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2068

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors for breast cancer in the Polish population. In total, 201 Polish women newly diagnosed with breast cancer and 201 one-to-one age-matched healthy controls participated in this case-control study. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, reproductive and menstrual history, medical history, lifestyle factors, and anthropometric measurements were collected by the interviewers. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were obtained using multivariate unconditional logistic regression models controlling for potential confounders. Significant relationships were observed between BMI, alcohol use initiation, breastfeeding, education, and place of residence. Obese women had a higher risk of breast cancer than women with a BMI < 30 (OR = 1.9; 95% CI: 1.16 to 3.04). Early alcohol use initiation (≤15 years) was associated with an almost two-fold higher risk of breast cancer (OR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.06 to 3.69). Breastfeeding for less than 3 months (OR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.52 to 3.5), receiving a basic and vocational education (OR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.49 to 4.19), and living in a rural area (OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.05 to 2.9) increased the risk of breast cancer. Prevention activities for breast cancer are already needed in adolescents and young women. A much greater emphasis should also be placed on breast cancer prevention campaigns in rural areas in Poland. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational and Environmental Carcinogenesis)

15 pages, 3155 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in Urine of Metal Carpentry Workers Can Be Diagnostic for Occupational Exposure to Low Level of Welding Fumes from Associated Metals

by Flavia Buonaurio, Maria Luisa Astolfi, Daniela Pigini, Giovanna Tranfo, Silvia Canepari, Antonio Pietroiusti, Iacopo D’Alessandro and Renata Sisto

Cancers 2021, 13(13), 3167; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13133167 - 24 Jun 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2222

Abstract

Urinary concentrations of 16 different exposure biomarkers to metals were determined at the beginning and at the end of a working shift on a group of workers in the metal carpentry industry. Five different oxidative stress biomarkers were also measured, such as the oxidation products of RNA and DNA metabolized and excreted in the urine. The results of workers exposed to metals were compared to those of a control group. The metal concentrations found in these workers were well below the occupational exposure limit values and exceeded the mean concentrations of the same metals in the urine of the control group by a factor of four at maximum. Barium (Ba), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb) and strontium (Sr) were correlated with the RNA oxidative stress biomarker, 8-oxo-7, 8-dihydroguanosine (8-oxoGuo), which was found able to discriminate exposed workers from controls with a high level of specificity and sensitivity. The power of this early diagnostic technique was assessed by means of the ROC curve. Ba, rubidium (Rb), Sr, tellurium (Te), and vanadium (V) were correlated with the level of the protein oxidation biomarker 3-Nitrotyrosine (3-NO₂Tyr), and Ba, beryllium (Be), copper (Cu), and Rb with 5-methylcytidine (5-MeCyt), an epigenetic marker of RNA damage. These effect biomarkers can help in identifying those workers that can be defined as “occupationally exposed” even at low exposure levels, and they can provide information about the impact that such doses have on their health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational and Environmental Carcinogenesis)

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15 pages, 3001 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Increased Hospitalization and Mortality from COVID-19 in Prostate Cancer Patients

by Dimple Chakravarty, Parita Ratnani, Stanislaw Sobotka, Dara Lundon, Peter Wiklund, Sujit S. Nair and Ashutosh K. Tewari

Cancers 2021, 13(7), 1630; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13071630 - 01 Apr 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3258

Abstract

Background: Cancer patients with COVID-19 have a poor disease course. Among tumor types, prostate cancer and COVID-19 share several risk factors, and the interaction of prostate cancer and COVID-19 is purported to have an adverse outcome. Methods: This was a single-institution retrospective study on 286,609 patients who underwent the COVID-19 test at Mount Sinai Hospital system from March 2020 to December 2020. Chi-square/Fisher’s exact tests were used to summarize baseline characteristics of categorical data, and Mann–Whitney U test was used for continuous variables. Univariable logistic regression analysis to compare the hospitalization and mortality rates and the strength of association was obtained by the odds ratio and confidence interval. Results: This study aimed to compare hospitalization and mortality rates between men with COVID-19 and prostate cancer and those who were COVID-19-positive with non-prostate genitourinary malignancy or any solid cancer, and with breast cancer patients. We also compared our studies to others that reported the incidence and severity of COVID-19 in prostate cancer patients. Our studies highlight that patients with prostate cancer had higher susceptibility to COVID-19-related pathogenesis, resulting in higher mortality and hospitalization rates. Hospitalization and mortality rates were higher in prostate cancer patients with COVID-19 when compared with COVID-19 patients with non-prostate genitourinary (GU) malignancies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational and Environmental Carcinogenesis)

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Review

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23 pages, 583 KiB

Open AccessReview

Occupational Exposure to Carcinogens and Occupational Epidemiological Cancer Studies in Iran: A Review

by Bayan Hosseini, Amy L. Hall, Kazem Zendehdel, Hans Kromhout, Felix M. Onyije, Rahmatollah Moradzadeh, Maryam Zamanian, Joachim Schüz and Ann Olsson

Cancers 2021, 13(14), 3581; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13143581 - 16 Jul 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3539

Abstract

Introduction: The extent of exposure to occupational carcinogens is not well characterized in Iran, and little is known about the burden of occupational cancer. Objectives: This study aimed to describe exposure to occupational carcinogens and occupational epidemiology studies in Iran. Methods: Relevant studies up to January 2021 in Iran were identified through three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar). Results: Forty-nine publications from 2009 to 2020 (one cohort, 11 case-control, 34 exposure monitoring studies, and three cancer burden studies) were included. The exposure monitoring studies were conducted mainly in the petroleum industry, metal industry, manufacturing of electronics, manufacturing of plastics, construction industry, and service industry. A few of the case-control studies also reported increased risk of cancers in relation to work in those industries. Conclusions: Occupational cancer epidemiology in Iran is at an early stage. Both epidemiological and exposure monitoring studies are generally limited in size to provide robust evidence of occupational cancer risks. A coherent strategy to estimate the occupational cancer burden in Iran should start with conducting epidemiological studies along with systematic monitoring of occupational carcinogens for use in hazard control and research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational and Environmental Carcinogenesis)

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18 pages, 739 KiB

Open AccessReview

Cadmium-Associated Molecular Signatures in Cancer Cell Models

by Claudio Luparello

Cancers 2021, 13(11), 2823; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13112823 - 05 Jun 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3031

Abstract

The exposure of cancer cells to cadmium and its compounds is often associated with the development of more malignant phenotypes, thereby contributing to the acceleration of tumor progression. It is known that cadmium is a transcriptional regulator that induces molecular reprogramming, and therefore the study of differentially expressed genes has enabled the identification and classification of molecular signatures inherent in human neoplastic cells upon cadmium exposure as useful biomarkers that are potentially transferable to clinical research. This review recapitulates selected studies that report the detection of cadmium-associated signatures in breast, gastric, colon, liver, lung, and nasopharyngeal tumor cell models, as specifically demonstrated by individual gene or whole genome expression profiling. Where available, the molecular, biochemical, and/or physiological aspects associated with the targeted gene activation or silencing in the discussed cell models are also outlined. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational and Environmental Carcinogenesis)

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22 pages, 1397 KiB

Open AccessReview

Epigenetic Effects of Benzene in Hematologic Neoplasms: The Altered Gene Expression

by Giovanna Spatari, Alessandro Allegra, Mariella Carrieri, Giovanni Pioggia and Sebastiano Gangemi

Cancers 2021, 13(10), 2392; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13102392 - 14 May 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4190

Abstract

Benzene carcinogenic ability has been reported, and chronic exposure to benzene can be one of the risk elements for solid cancers and hematological neoplasms. Benzene is acknowledged as a myelotoxin, and it is able to augment the risk for the onset of acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, aplastic anemia, and lymphomas. Possible mechanisms of benzene initiation of hematological tumors have been identified, as a genotoxic effect, an action on oxidative stress and inflammation and the provocation of immunosuppression. However, it is becoming evident that genetic alterations and the other causes are insufficient to fully justify several phenomena that influence the onset of hematologic malignancies. Acquired epigenetic alterations may participate with benzene leukemogenesis, as benzene may affect nuclear receptors, and provoke post-translational alterations at the protein level, thereby touching the function of regulatory proteins, comprising oncoproteins and tumor suppressor proteins. DNA hypomethylation correlates with stimulation of oncogenes, while the hypermethylation of CpG islands in promoter regions of specific tumor suppressor genes inhibits their transcription and stimulates the onset of tumors. The discovery of the systems of epigenetic induction of benzene-caused hematological tumors has allowed the possibility to operate with pharmacological interventions able of stopping or overturning the negative effects of benzene. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational and Environmental Carcinogenesis)

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26 pages, 2496 KiB

Open AccessReview

Thyroid Cancer and Circadian Clock Disruption

by Roberta Malaguarnera, Caterina Ledda, Agnese Filippello, Francesco Frasca, Vincenzo Cristian Francavilla, Tiziana Ramaci, Maria Chiara Parisi, Venerando Rapisarda and Salvatore Piro

Cancers 2020, 12(11), 3109; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12113109 - 24 Oct 2020

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 5375

Abstract

Thyroid cancer (TC) represents the most common malignancy of the endocrine system, with an increased incidence across continents attributable to both improvement of diagnostic procedures and environmental factors. Among the modifiable risk factors, insulin resistance might influence the development of TC. A relationship between circadian clock machinery disfunction and TC has recently been proposed. The circadian clock machinery comprises a set of rhythmically expressed genes responsible for circadian rhythms. Perturbation of this system contributes to the development of pathological states such as cancer. Several clock genes have been found deregulated upon thyroid nodule malignant transformation. The molecular mechanisms linking circadian clock disruption and TC are still unknown but could include insulin resistance. Circadian misalignment occurring during shift work, jet lag, high fat food intake, is associated with increased insulin resistance. This metabolic alteration, in turn, is associated with a well-known risk factor for TC i.e., hyperthyrotropinemia, which could also be induced by sleep disturbances. In this review, we describe the mechanisms controlling the circadian clock function and its involvement in the cell cycle, stemness and cancer. Moreover, we discuss the evidence supporting the link between circadian clockwork disruption and TC development/progression, highlighting its potential implications for TC prevention, diagnosis and therapy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational and Environmental Carcinogenesis)

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Other

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12 pages, 276 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

The Carcinogenic Effects of Formaldehyde Occupational Exposure: A Systematic Review

by Carmela Protano, Giuseppe Buomprisco, Vittoria Cammalleri, Roberta Noemi Pocino, Daniela Marotta, Stefano Simonazzi, Francesca Cardoni, Marta Petyx, Sergio Iavicoli and Matteo Vitali

Cancers 2022, 14(1), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14010165 - 29 Dec 2021

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 4407

Abstract

Background: Formaldehyde, classified as a carcinogen in 2004, as of today is widely used in many work activities. From its classification, further studies were performed to evaluate its carcinogenicity. The aim of the systematic review is to update the evidence on occupational exposure to formaldehyde and cancer onset. Methods: The review, in accordance with the PRISMA statement, includes articles in English reporting original results of studies conducted on workers exposed to formaldehyde, considering all types of cancer, published from 1 January 2000 to 30 July 2021 and selected from the Pubmed and Scopus databases. The studies’ quality was assessed by the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results: A total of 21 articles were included, conducted in different European, American, and Asian countries. The most investigated occupational areas are those characterized by a deliberate use of formaldehyde. Some studies evaluated all types of cancer, whereas others focused on specific sites such as thyroid and respiratory, lymphohematopoietic, or central nervous systems. The results showed weak associations with lung cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, leukemia, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Conclusions: The results demonstrate the need for further original studies carried out on representative samples of workers exposed to measured levels of FA. These studies should be designed to reduce the bias due to co-exposure to other carcinogens. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational and Environmental Carcinogenesis)

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