Occupational cancer in the European part of the Commonwealth of Independent States

Precise information on the number of workers currently exposed to carcinoge ns in the Commonwealth of Independent Stales (CIS) is lacking. However, the large number of workers employed in high-risk industries such as the chemi cal and metal industries suggests that the number of workers potentially ex posed to carcinogens may be large. In the CIS, women account for almost 50% of the industrial work force. Although no precise data are available on th e number of cancers caused by occupational exposures, indirect evidence sug gests that the magnitude of the problem is comparable to that observed in W estern Europe, representing some 20,000 cases per year. The large number of women employed in the past and at present in industries that create potent ial exposure to carcinogens is a special characteristic of the CIS. In rece nt years an increasing amount of high-quality research has been conducted o n occupational cancer in the CIS; there is, however, room for further impro vement. International training programs should be established, and funds fr om international research and development programs should be devoted to thi s area. In recent years, following privatization of many large-scale indust ries, access to employment and exposure data is becoming increasingly diffi cult.