The short answer
CDC estimates that 2 to 8 percent of cancers worldwide are caused by workplace exposures, and says they can be prevented. Substances such as asbestos, benzene and crystalline silica are on NCI's list. Controls such as ventilation and protective equipment reduce exposure.
CDC estimates that 2 to 8 percent of all cancers worldwide are caused by workplace carcinogens.
Workplace carcinogens named by NCI include asbestos, benzene, crystalline silica, beryllium, nickel compounds, wood dust, coke-oven emissions and coal tar.
NCI says the amount and length of exposure, and a person's genes, affect whether cancer develops.
CDC says cancers caused by workplace exposures can be prevented.
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This page is for workers, and their families, who want to know which jobs involve cancer-causing substances and how that exposure is kept down.
Why the workplace matters
NCI says some carcinogens are hard to avoid, especially when they are in the air we breathe or in the materials we use to do our jobs. CDC estimates that 2 to 8 percent of all cancers worldwide are caused by exposures to carcinogens in the workplace, and says these cancers can be prevented.
Why occupational risk is often higher
NCI says many factors influence whether a person exposed to a carcinogen develops cancer, including the amount and duration of the exposure and the person's genetic background. See hazard versus risk. A job that means regular contact with a substance can add up to more exposure than everyday life does.
Substances and jobs linked to cancer
NCI's list of cancer-causing substances includes several that people meet at work:
- Asbestos
- Benzene
- Crystalline silica (respirable size)
- Beryllium
- Nickel compounds
- Wood dust
- Coke-oven emissions
- Coal tar and coal-tar pitch
CDC lists firefighting, rubber manufacturing, paving, roofing, painting and chimney sweeping among occupations with increased cancer risk.
How the risk is controlled
CDC/NIOSH describes a hierarchy of controls, followed from the top down because the upper levels depend less on people remembering to act.
- Elimination. Remove the hazard at the source.
- Substitution. Replace the hazard with something safer.
- Engineering controls. Change equipment or add barriers and ventilation.
- Administrative controls. Training, job rotation, rest breaks and limiting access to hazardous areas.
- Personal protective equipment. Gloves, glasses and respirators. Employers must provide it when other methods cannot adequately reduce the hazard or are still being put in place.
What workers can do
- Follow the safety procedures and use the protection provided.
- For detail on a specific chemical, CDC points to the NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards and OSHA's carcinogen resources.
- If you are worried about an exposure at work, or have symptoms, talk with your doctor and tell them what you work with.
Common questions
Why is the workplace such an important source of carcinogens?
NCI notes that some carcinogens are hard to avoid when they are in the materials we use to do our jobs. CDC estimates that 2 to 8 percent of all cancers worldwide are caused by exposures to carcinogens in the workplace.
Which jobs carry higher risk?
CDC lists firefighting, rubber manufacturing, paving, roofing, painting and chimney sweeping among occupations with increased cancer risk. The specific risk depends on the agents involved and the protections in place.
How is occupational cancer risk reduced?
CDC/NIOSH describes a hierarchy of controls, from most to least effective: eliminate the hazard, substitute something safer, engineering controls (such as ventilation and barriers), administrative controls (such as training and limiting access), and personal protective equipment such as respirators. Employers must provide protective equipment when other methods cannot adequately reduce the hazard.
What can workers do?
Follow your employer's safety procedures and use the protection provided. For details on a specific chemical, CDC points to the NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. If you have questions about your workplace exposure, ask your employer or your doctor.
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Last updated: 2026-10-16Next planned review: 2028-07-05
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Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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