Laryngeal and ovarian cancers caused by asbestos recognized as occupational diseases

Laryngeal and ovarian cancers, caused as a result of “inhalation of asbestos dust”, are recognized as occupational diseases, which will allow those affected to be better compensated, according to a decree published on Sunday October 15 in Official newspaper.

This recognition will allow workers affected by this exposure and suffering from laryngeal or ovarian cancer “to benefit from better possibilities for compensation and support”.

“Eligible workers can contact their primary health insurance fund to file a request for compensation and obtain recognition of their pathology as an illness of occupational origin,” adds the decree.

This consideration results from the work carried out by the specialized commission for occupational pathologies of the Working Conditions Orientation Council (COCT), on the basis of the scientific expertise carried out by the National Food Safety Agency, of the environment and work (ANSES) a year ago.

“Under-reported and under-recognized” cancers

In this survey, ANSES noted that laryngeal and ovarian cancers are “under-reported and under-recognized” when they are linked to occupational exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos, used for several decades during the 20th century in the construction of buildings, is now banned in many countries such as France, due to its dangerous effects on health.

Its link with laryngeal or ovarian cancers had already been recognized for several years by various organizations, including the Institute for Health Surveillance – ancestor of today’s Public Health France – and, abroad, the International Center for Cancer Research (IARC), linked to the United Nations (UN).

Asbestos remains the second cause of occupational diseases and the leading cause of occupational cancers. According to health authorities, the inhalation of asbestos, banned in 1997, could cause respiratory cancer between 68,000 and 100,000 deaths in France from 2009 to 2050.

Even though all forms of asbestos have been banned in the European Union since 2005, asbestos fibers are still present in millions of buildings and infrastructure, and responsible for the deaths of 70,000 people per year in Europe. In total, 78% of occupational cancers recognized in the Member States of the European Union are linked to exposure to asbestos.