Rev Prat. 2004 Dec 31;54(20):2247-54.
La Revue du praticien
[Article in French] Annie Thébaud-Mony
PMID: 15736535
Work plays a major role in the production of social inequalities in health in two ways. It determines the place that each one is occupying in the production and in the society, which is influencing the social inequalities as regards living conditions, income, housing, social security and access to the healthcare. In addition, the conditions and the organization of work have direct effects on worker's health according to the types of social division of work and of occupational hazards. The social differentiation of the occupational exposure to carcinogenic substances is under the influence of such a social division of work which plays also a role in the production of the inequalities in cancer. Known since decades, such inequalities are generally considered as related to the individual behaviours. The role of work in the social construction of these inequalities is little questioned, even if epidemiological data exist concerning occupational cancer. These are not visible in public area and little recognised in occupational disease. French and European regulations are taking in account the prevention of occupational cancer, but the effective practices are still poorly developed. This article attempts to show what is the state of the problem in terms of knowledge, compensation and prevention of these cancers which are related to work and for a large part invisible. This invisibility is contributing to the social growth of social inequalities in cancer.
