RAMB - Maio / Junho 2016

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2016; 62(3):280-286

the body most affected were covered by clothing, such as

the lower limbs and trunk.

Another article found that being a pilot for more than

20 years is a risk factor for non-melanoma skin cancer, es-

pecially in the case of professionals with more flight time

at high latitude, as this increase exposure to ionizing ra-

diation.

We may conclude that the first article was in-

consistent with the others assessing exposure to solar ra-

diation in the workplace, but this may have been due to

some limitations, such as lack of determination of cos-

mic radiation to which the flight crew was exposed and

the possibility that some results may have arisen by chance

because of the large number of comparisons.

Another article that presented a contradiction was

the study of Surdu et al.,

which showed an inverse rela-

tionship between non-melanoma skin cancer, primarily

basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and sun exposure in the work-

place. However, this article presented limitations that may

have favored this contradiction, as the evaluation of sun

exposure may have been misclassified, or participants may

have had low levels of sun exposure, as well as having been

protected against UV exposure, leading to these profes-

sionals not developing skin cancer.

It was observed that the professions related to the

risk of developing skin cancer in the workplace were out-

door workers.

6,12

According to Caroe et al.,

gardening and

construction were the occupations with the highest

amount of non-melanoma skin cancer due to exposure

to UV radiation. Meanwhile, Borsato and Nunes

pres-

ent rural works followed by general services workers, trade

and construction as professionals at risk of non-melano-

ma skin cancer.

Therefore, articles that have rated the professions of

outdoor workers as being at greater risk of skin cancer

have presented construction and farm workers as the most

cited professions, and we can conclude that these are the

most at risk.

6,9,12,14,15,19,24

In addition to solar radiation, workers can have oth-

er risk factors of an occupational order, including arse-

nic, tar, mineral oils and lubricants, among others, but

which also require prolonged and chronic exposure to

such substances.

According to Surdu et al.,

women exposed to arse-

nic in the workplace have a high incidence of BCC in re-

gions exposed to solar radiation, such as the face, scalp

and neck. They also noted that there is no increased risk

TABLE 1

(Cont.) Shows an overview of all the studies included in the final sample and all the data collected and used for the

sample analysis process.

Author (year) Journal

Sample

Main findings

Popim et al.

(2008)

Ciência & Saúde

Coletiva

33 postal workers for the Brazilian Postal

Service in Botucatu

Postal workers are a risk group for skin cancer

Reeder; Gray;

Mccool (2013)

Journal of

Occupational Health

1,061 workers

There is a difference in the form of primary prevention

for skin cancer among the various occupations

examined, but this protection is not performed

satisfactorily

Schernhammer

et al. (2011)

Journal of the

National Cancer

Institute

68,336 white, non-Hispanic nurses

The professionals who work the night shift have less

risk of developing skin cancer

Silva et al.

(2013)

International Journal

of Cancer

16,329 crew members and 3,165 air traffic

control officers

The crew members present high rates of melanoma

in relation to the general population

Simões et al.

(2011)

Revista Gaúcha de

Enfermagem

50 workers at a construction company in Rio

de Janeiro

The knowledge of workers about the causes that may

lead to emergence of skin cancer is relevant, as well

as the prevention methods

Stock et al.

(2009)

Annals of Behavioral

Medicine

148 male, outdoor workers

UV photography interventions may encourage the

reduction of UV exposure in outdoor workers

Surdu et al.

(2013a)

PLOS ONE

618 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer and

527 controls among white residents from three

European countries (eight cities located in

Hungary, Romania and Slovakia)

The study showed an inverse association between

exposure to natural and artificial UV radiation and

the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer

Surdu et al.

(2013b)

International Journal of

Cancer

618 incident cases of non-melanoma skin

cancer and 527 controls

There is risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer

in women exposed to arsenic in the workplace