Occupational cancer of the urinary tract-incidence, reporting behavior, and administrative procedures

Abstract

Tumors of the urinary tract are among the most common types of occupational cancer. Asignificant proportion of about 5-15% may be of occupational etiology. Suspicion of an occupational genesis is subject to mandatory reporting. However, epidemiological analyses show that the number of reports received by accident insurance companies and employers' liability insurance associations is significantly lower than expected. Finally, the economic and administrative effort in surveying apatient's occupational history hinders adequate reporting. By routinely and systematically using astructured questionnaire as part of clinical routine in our hospital, asignificantly improved detection of justified suspected cases (from about 4.8% to about 67% of the theoretically expected value) has been achieved since about 2006. In addition to improved medical care and adequate compensation for recognition as an occupational disease, disease-related care is subject to extra-budgetary remuneration in Germany (UV-GOÄ).