On October 12, the Higher Commission for Occupational Diseases in Agriculture issued a favorable opinion on the recognition of prostate cancer as an occupational disease in farmers who use pesticides. Questioned by the senator of Morbihan, Joël Labbé, who asked him if this decree of recognition would be published, the Minister of Agriculture, Julien Denormandie, replied that “yes, he will take this decree”.
“We are going in the direction of the indications already given by the President of the Republic on greater recognition of occupational diseases and in the direction of the government’s policy on these occupational diseases” he added.
Recognition of cancer as an occupational disease for farmers: “The social partners unanimously voted in favor of this, in particular prostate cancer. Yes, I will take the decree in accordance with the opinion of this commission.” @J_Denormandie#QAGpic.twitter.com/myDFmvACoJ
— Public Senate (@publicsenat) October 20, 2021
As the French Association of Urology points out, “various studies have consistently shown the presence of an excess risk of prostate cancer in agricultural populations compared to the general population” even if this hypothesis does not has not yet been formally demonstrated.
According to a report published by Health Insurance in 2019, occupational exposure is the cause of 5.7% of cancers in men and 1% of cancers in women. Over the period 2013-2017, Health Insurance – Occupational Risks recognized an average of 1,840 cancers of occupational origin per year. The majority of recognized cases are cancers of the lung (57%), cancers of the pleura (21%) and of the bladder (11%) linked to the use of asbestos. Excluding asbestos, these are mainly naso-sinus cancers and leukemia.
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