Introduction Actions to control cancer in Brazil were introduced in the early 20th century, conducted with a greater focus on diagnosis and treatment. The emphasis on prevention was limited by the lack of knowledge about the etiology of the disease. Occupational cancer originates from exposure to carcinogenic agents present in the workplace, even after exposure is suspended. It is common for a long period of exposure to elements or risky conditions in the workplace to occur, which makes difficult to diagnose certain types of cancer.

Objective To investigate the variation in the occurrence of occupational cancer among Brazilian workers.

Methods We conducted an ecological study with an investigation of temporal trends, in a quantitative approach, with exploration of absolute and relative frequencies of data on all Brazilian workers who were affected by occupational cancer and who were beneficiaries of the social system.

Results From 2006 to 2012, 798,885 social security benefits were granted to Brazilian workers due to cancer, with an average of 1092,6 cases/year (SD=502,9) of occupational cancer, and average occurrence rate of 0.62% among all cases of cancer. Considering only occupational neoplasms, there was a higher occurrence of melanomas and other skin neoplasms (n = 2141, 55.99%), neoplasms of the respiratory system (n = 493, 12.89%) and lymphatic and hematological tissue neoplasms (n = 447, 11.69%).

Conclusion Although preventable, occupational cancer is recurrent among Brazilian workers. The main strategy for reducing risks is to reduce or eliminate exposure to carcinogenic agents within the work environment. The role of nurses in the work environment has become essential, since it contributes to a significant drop in the rate of accidents and occupational diseases, promoting quality of life, identifying risks and implementing health protective measures.