High-priority carcinogenic occupational agents and activities for health surveillance in Brazil.

The aims of the present study were to assemble a list of carcinogens considered as having high priority for occupational health actions in Brazil and to describe the process followed to validate it. Through a literature review we retrieved the main carcinogens used in production activities in Brazil, the carcinogenicity classification developed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and corresponding types of cancer relevant within the Brazilian context. The list thus assembled was reviewed and validated by an expert panel. It includes known and suspected carcinogens found in the production process of some industries in Brazil, and might serve as orientation for future studies on the burden of occupational cancer.