BarcelonaThis 2026 in Spain it is estimated that 301,884 cases of cancer will be detected, 166,764 in men and 133,120 in women, according to data from the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM). Of these, about 5% would never have occurred without exposure to carcinogens at work. The CCOO union published the report this Tuesday Occupational cancer, the leading cause of death at workcoinciding with World Cancer Day, in which he claims, according to his own calculations, that this year there will be 15,999 cancers and 6,126 deaths from this disease attributable to occupational exposures in the State.
Cancer is the leading cause of occupational mortality in the European Union, with 53% of all occupational deaths each year, compared to 28% of cardiovascular diseases and 6% of respiratory diseases, according to data from the European Commission in 2017. So, from the trade union organization they report that these tumors caused by work can be prevented and avoided by eliminating exposures to carcinogens, a pending subject for many companies. In fact, they point out that one in four Spanish workers is exposed to occupational carcinogens, while in Europe they are one in five, according to estimates from the CAREX database.
Even so, the study criticizes that there is an underdiagnosis of occupational cancers, since, according to provisional data from the Ministry of Social Security, in 2025 only 119 processes of occupational disease due to carcinogenic agents were registered. In his opinion, most cases remain hidden under the category of common illness and their occupational origin is not recognized. In addition, the union states that there is also a gender gap in this underdiagnosis: of the 119 cancers reported, 105 were in men and only 14 in women. “This fact can not only be explained by the fact that exposure to carcinogenic agents occurs mostly in masculinized sectors, but also due to a lack of gender perspective in the approach to occupational cancer, where there is an absolute lack of research and management with a gender perspective, which is clearly shown in the absence of specific cancers in women: ovarian cancer and breast cancer”, they point out from CCOO.
Beyond asbestos
The majority of recognized cancers are related to exposure to asbestos, specifically 60 cases. As the report shows, the most common work-related tumors are lung, prostate, breast and bladder cancer. Beyond asbestos – where a tough battle has been waged in court by the victims, who have finally obtained a financial compensation fund -, CCOO warns that in recent years there has been an increase in the notification of cases of lung cancer due to exposure to respirable crystalline silica. It is a very fine dust that is generated when cutting very common materials in construction such as ceramics, marble or gravel. In 2025, 15 were detected and it is now the second cause of work-related cancer in Spain. Regarding these particles, the union also recalls the resurgence of another serious lung disease, silicosis, which in 2025 reached “its historical peak of the 21st century”.
The CCOO analysis also cites a 2021 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (INSST) study that points to a higher risk of death from occupational cancer among lower-skilled manual workers, compared to other higher-skilled occupations such as doctors, lawyers or engineers. “All occupational cancers are preventable. Therefore, it is unfair and unacceptable that any worker has to accept more risk of cancer at work,” concludes the union.
