A Systematic Review of Occupational Cancers in the Indian Sub-continent

Occupational exposure to carcinogens is a major concern in the field of occupational health and public welfare, involving chemicals, metals, dust particles, and organic materials across various industries. This systematic review synthesizes existing literature on occupational cancers in India with respect to the type of carcinogens that the population is exposed to and identifies research gaps. A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Ovid, Cochrane Library, and other sources, including Google Scholar and manual searches of reference lists, to identify articles published in the English language between January 1, 2000, and October 31, 2024. Eligible studies were those focused on occupational carcinogen exposure in India and available in full text. Two independent reviewers screened the titles and abstracts, followed by full-text evaluation, with any disagreement resolved by a third reviewer. Relevant data were extracted and analyzed thematically. The systematic search yielded 1,360 publications, of which only six studies, comprising a total of 12,360 patients, met the inclusion criteria. These Indian studies highlighted an association between occupational exposure and cancer risk among pesticide workers, farmers, domestic workers, beedi workers, and agricultural laborers, focusing on cancers such as lymphoma, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), lung cancer, cervical carcinoma, buccal mucosa cancer, and gastrointestinal tract cancers. The findings highlight the critical need for conducting further original studies on representative samples of workers exposed to occupational carcinogens to accurately assess the risk of occupational cancers and provide robust evidence on these risks. Furthermore, India should prioritize the systematic monitoring of occupational carcinogens to support hazard control and guide research efforts.