Leading experts discussed the increasing incidence of occupational cancer at a seminar at Home House, Portman Square on Tuesday 30th April 2013, hosted by HealthScreen UK. The seminar covered a wide range of issues including the serious implications of shift work being classed as a carcinogen.

HealthScreen UK, the exclusive provider of awareness and early detection services from International Health Technology (IHT), is dedicated to the early detection and awareness of Breast, Lung, Prostate and Skin cancers. HealthScreen UK is at the forefront of bringing new medical technology and services to clients. The Health and Safety Executive estimates that there are 13,500 new cases of occupational cancer each year, leading to over 8,000 deaths. Leading experts in the area discussed the latest research, the current legal position for employers and how they can manage the increased risk from carcinogens in the workplace.

John Picken, Managing Director at HealthScreen UK, opened the seminar followed by a number of educational presentations by key speakers including Dr Lesley Rushton OBE of Imperial College, who leads the study on the burden of occupational cancer in Britain. Dr Rushton shared the latest results of her work and explored how to measure risk exposure. Her results found that a shocking five percent of all cancer deaths in Britain can be attributed to occupational cancer. Nick Pargeter, Head of the London Occupational Disease Team at national law firm Berrymans Lace Mawer (BLM) and Deputy Chair of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers Disease Special Interest Group, presented case law on the duty of care of the employer with particular reference to an employer’s liability for the development of occupational cancers.

Concluding, Professor Gordon Wishart, a Professor of Cancer Surgery, explored how employers could manage the risk to their employees following recent research that has found that female night shift workers have a shocking 51 percent increased risk of developing breast cancer, with five percent of all breast cancer cases caused by night shift work. John Picken, Managing Director at HealthScreen UK, said: “This is without question an area of growing concern and the seminar offered the ideal platform to bring a large number of healthcare and industry professionals together to discuss the latest research, legal position and risk management techniques. With 8 percent of all male cancer deaths in Britain caused by occupational exposure, now really is the time to focus on what employers need to do.”