A comprehensive review on physical, chemical, and biological factors for cancer development - The influence of environmental and occupational contaminants

Abstract

Over the past few decades, the number of cancer cases attributed to environmental and occupational carcinogens, such as asbestos, arsenic, and indoor and outdoor air pollution, decreased in high-income countries. These exposures are expected to increase for low- to middle-income countries, where industrialization expands, and populations grow. Still, there are a small number of studies from these countries on carcinogenic occupational and environmental exposures and their associations with neoplastic outcomes. The estimation of human cancer's burden attributed to environmental and occupational exposures in low- to middle-income countries is uncertain. Despite the high incidence of carcinogenic exposures reported in many such countries, the exposures' effects are poorly studied due to different limitations, such as lack of resources and government support. It is highly relevant to review key exposures and outcomes related to specific environmental and occupational carcinogens in the context of global health challenges faced by developing countries, especially considering new findings on this topic in the last few years. © 2023 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.