Cancer is a worldwide public health problem, accounting for an increasing proportion of all deaths. It is the second leading cause of death in most of the industrialised world, and developing countries appear to be launched on a cancer epidemic, similar to that in industrialised countries. In developing countries, most cancer deaths are due to tumours of the stomach, oesophagus, lung, liver and uterine cervix; occupational cancers account for an undetermined number of these cases. Occupationally associated neoplasms may either be related directly to specific exposures within a workplace, e.g., bladder cancer in benzidine-exposed workers, or reflect indirect factors, including socioeconomic status and conditions of life. Asbestos-induced pneumoconiosis is recognised as an occupational disease in many developing countries, whereas asbestos-related malignancies draw less attention. The rising prevalence of cigarette smoking in these countries greatly magnifies the effect of asbestos in inducing lung cancer. Transplantation of industries from developed to developing countries is often accompanied by a reduction in the standard of working conditions. The rising unemployment in developing countries is unlikely to incite workers to claim better conditions.