The World Health Organisation (WHO) sponsored Asturia conference in 2011 identified the key practical steps needed to prevent occupational and environmental cancers. The Asturia declaration called for framework for control of environmental and occupational carcinogens that concentrates on the exposures identified by IARC as proven or probable causes of human cancer. It said priority should be given to finding alternative, safer substances or alternative, safer ways to do the job. A report of the conference said there was an urgent need to tackle the occupational and environmental exposures “responsible for a substantial percentage of all cancers”. The paper published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, says “credible estimates” suggest these exposures could account for up to 1 in every 5 cancers.

Landrigan PJ, Espina C, and Neira M. Global prevention of environmental and occupational cancer. Environmental Health Perspectives, volume 119:a280-a281, published online 1 July 2011. The World Health Organisation (WHO) sponsored Asturia conference in 2011.  The Asturias Declaration: A call to action [pdf].