Based on well-documented associations between occupational exposures and cancer, it is estimated that approximately 20,000 cancer deaths and 40,000 new cases of cancer each year in the United States are attributable to occupation; additionally, it is estimated that less than 2% of chemicals in commerce have been tested for carcinogenicity. To continue to investigate and prevent the occupational cancers of the future requires the development of new methods to address etiologic and intervention questions; these new methods may involve advances in molecular biology, analytical chemistry, and genetics.
