Occupational ultraviolet light exposure and skin cancer

Background: Ultraviolet (UV) light is an important risk factor for basal cell carcinoma (BZK), squamous cell carcinoma (PEK), and malignant melanoma (KMM) of the skin. As exposure to UV light may occur in outdoor work and other occupational settings, it is essential to estimate the associated risk of skin cancer. We present an overview of the current state of research on this subject. Methods: Based on a Medline search as well as on reference lists given by published studies, a review of available results on skin cancer risk caused by occupational exposure to UV light was prepared. Results: The published results in view of the risk of BZK associated with occupational UV exposure are rather heterogeneous. The risk of PEK associated with occupational exposure to natural UV light appears to be considerably elevated. On the contrary, with regard to KMM, the published results appear to be consistent with an absent association between occupational exposure to natural UV light and disease risk. Conclusion: With regard to BZK, the marked heterogeneity of published results seems to indicate the presence of exposure misclassification and of confounding which should be minimized in future research in order to obtain unbiased estimates of the true disease risk associated with occupational UV light exposure.