Cancer Deaths Among Surgeons Suggest Work-Related Risks in Operating Room: Study

Like other kinds of doctors, surgeons tend to avoid most traditional health risks due to medical knowledge. However, it appears there may be occupational cancer risks associated with being a surgeon.

New data suggests that surgeons may face occupational exposures in the operating room, like radiation, which causes them to die of cancer at higher rates than other doctors.

In a study published in the medical journal JAMA Surgery on July 30, Harvard researchers indicate that cancer death rates among surgeons is double that of non-surgeon doctors, and 20% higher than all other workers in the population at large.

All doctors receive the same health knowledge and training, but previous research has indicated that surgeons have higher death rates compared to other doctors, which suggests they may be exposed to things during their workday that increase their risk of cancer and cancer-related deaths.

Surgeons often face long working hours, high-pressure interactions, workplace violence and occupational exposures, including ionizing radiation when performing imaging, surgical smoke during laser procedures, and harmful chemicals from sterilizers and disinfectants. They also face the risk of exposure to infections and blood-borne pathogens.

For this study, a Harvard Medical School research team, headed by Dr. Vishal R. Patel, reviewed death records for more than 1 million individuals ages 25 to 74 years from the 2023 National Vital Statistics System. The database included 224 surgeons and 2,700 other doctors, as well as workers from other fields.

Using newly available population-based data, the researchers evaluated rates and leading causes of death among surgeons. They then compared that with non-surgeon doctors and other professionals, including lawyers, engineers, scientists and all other workers.

According to the findings, cancer death rates per 100,000 people were much higher among surgeons than other doctors and individuals working in other fields. Surgeons suffered cancer death rates at 193 per 100,000, compared to other doctors at 87 and all other workers at 162 per 100,000.

Overall death rates from any cause were in similar ranges between the three groups. Among surgeons, death rates were 355 per 100,000, while other types of doctors suffered only 228 per 100,000. However, both rates were much lower than U.S. workers overall, who experienced 632 deaths per 100,000. The rate dropped to about 404 per 100,000 for lawyers, engineers and scientists, the researchers noted.

The researchers also found that surgeons were the least likely of those groups to die from the flu, kidney disease, liver disease, septicemia and diabetes.

Overall, traditional health risks common to the general population are not risks to surgeons, likely due to their increased health knowledge, the research team determined. However, that knowledge does not appear to protect them from cancer risks.

“Understanding mortality patterns among surgeons is critical because their health and longevity affect their capacity to deliver care.”

-Dr. Vishal R. Patel, Mortality Among Surgeons in the United States

Researchers suggested workplace exposures may account for surgeons’ increased risks, but this is one of the first studies to look this closely at the issue, indicating more research is needed to narrow down the potential causes of the increased cancer death rates, and what level of risk each presents.