Table 2

Global occupation-attributable cancer deaths, DALYs and PAFs by cancer type and carcinogen, 2016—number and per cent

Cancer typeDeaths*DALYs
N% of deathsPAFN% of DALYsPAF
Breast cancer†4864 (1195–8401)1.4 (0.3–2.4)0.9 (0.2–1.6)160 494 (39 883–276 832)2.2 (0.6–3.8)1.1 (0.3–1.9))
Kidney cancer‡58 (13–108)0.0 (0.0–0.0)0.0 (0.0–0.1)1722 (379–3228)0.0 (0.0–0.0)0.1 (0–0.1)
Larynx cancer7213 (4437–10 462)2.1 (1.3–3.0)6.5 (4.1–9.5)169 127 (100 947–257 618)2.3 (1.4–3.6)6.2 (3.7–9.4)
 Asbestos374365 507
 Strong inorganic-acid mists3535105 226
Leukaemia2495 (1181–3734)0.7 (0.3–1.1)0.8 (0.4–1.2)111 195 (52 577–166 086)1.5 (0.7–2.3)1.1 (0.5–1.6)
 Benzene189983 867
 Formaldehyde 608 27 914
Lung cancer299 998 (233 708–365 251)86.0 (67.0–100.0)17.6 (13.8–21.3)6 091 207 (4 777 678–7 493 601)84.6 (66.4–100.0)16.7 (13.1–20.5)
 Arsenic8073219 218
 Asbestos181 4502 844 282
 Beryllium2597223
 Cadmium60516 832
 Chromium127635 452
 Diesel engine exhaust17 500485 693
 Nickel8101221 352
 Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons4526125 779
 Secondhand smoke44 3821 185 421
 Silica47 9991 303 949
Mesothelioma§27 612 (25 559–29 341)7.9 (7.3–8.4)91.4 (89.2–93.2)553 967 (507 287–597 783)7.7 (7.0–8.3)83.8 (80.3–86.9)
Nasopharynx cancer¶448 (330–685)0.1 (0.1–0.2)0.8 (0.5–1.1)19 018 (12 994–27 091)0.3 (0.2–0.4)1.0 (0.7–1.4)
Ovary cancer§6022 (2984–9404)1.7 (0.9–2.7)3.7 (1.8–5.7)93 120 (45 796–149 948)1.3 (0.6–2.1)2.2 (1.0–3.5)
Total348 741 (269 406–427 386)100.03.9 (3.2–4.6)7 199 850 (5 813 091–8 641 244)100.03.4 (2.7–4.0)

  • *The numbers in brackets are 95% uncertainty intervals.

  • †Caused by second-hand smoke.

  • ‡Caused by trichloroethylene.

  • §Caused by asbestos.

  • ¶Caused by formaldehyde.

  • DALY, disability-adjusted life year; PAF, population-attributable fraction.