Research program takes aim at reducing occupational cancer in Canada

Several organizations are teaming up to reduce the cares of occupational cancer in Canada through a new research program.

The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) recently announced the CCS Workplace Cancer Research Grants: Preventing Occupational Cancers, which is funding seven research projects that aim to lower the chances of people getting cancer due to various factors related to their jobs.

“With about 27 people in Canada per day being diagnosed with workplace-related cancer, we must invest in more research that can prevent these cancers and save their lives,” said Stuart Edmonds, executive vice president for mission, research and advocacy at CCS.

“This unique grants program is addressing a critical funding gap and uniting the research and labour communities to transform the future of occupational cancers so more people can live longer, healthier lives.”

In May, two leading unions in collaboration with the Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC) initiated a study to explore potential cancer risks among Canadian border workers.

Cancer research: Diesel engine exhaust, night-shift workers

Under the CCS research program, the projects were selected for a total investment of $1.38 million. The funding comes from the research fund as well as matching funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research-Institute of Cancer Research (CIHR-ICR).

Among the selected projects are those that aim to reduce carcinogen exposure for the more than 100,000 dental workers in Canada, prevent cancer for the nearly one million people who are exposed to diesel engine exhaust at work in the country and understand how gut bacteria and changes may cause cancer in the 1.8 million night-shift workers in Canada.

“Understanding the science behind workplace-related cancers is key to developing robust and equitable cancer prevention guidelines for the diverse workforce in Canada. CIHR-ICR is thrilled to be co-investing in this important initiative that aims to support cancer prevention research and a future without workplace-related cancers”, said Fei-Fei Liu, scientific director of CIHR-ICR.

Previously, a cleaning company was fined $838,800 for exposing employees to a cancer-causing chemical.

The projects could help prevent these cancers to reduce cases among Canada’s workforce, said Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress.

“No worker should be exposed to carcinogens at work or get cancer because of it,” she said. “Workers are counting on this research to improve our understanding of how to eliminate the risks of workplace cancers, so we can live in a world where work is truly safe, and where no one suffers as a result of doing their job.”

The CCS and the (CIHR-ICR) are partnering with the following organizations for the research program:

• Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions
• Canadian Labour Congress
• Canadian Union of Public Employees
• International Union of Operating Engineers
• Labourers International Union of North America
• National Union of Public and General Employees
• NL Teachers Association
• Unifor
• Public Service Alliance of Canada
• United Food and Commercial Workers Union
• United Steelworkers District 6
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
• WorkSafe BC
• WorkSafe Saskatchewan