[Occupational pathologies: prevention (the realization of nonharmful productive technologies) and protection (standards and methodology) in the identification of work-related causes].

Protection at work should be intended as the whole measures which tend to study and improve the relationship between the individual and the work environment. A satisfactory work is important fos psychic health: it gives gratifications and may induce sense of personal fulfillment. The application of preventive safety rules can only reduce or limit, but never annul, the occurrence of dangerous events even if all the work safety rules are strictly enforced and observed. Stress factors in working environment are listed in the text. For tumours it is often necessary to apply to more or less consolidate, though sometimes debatable, presumptive criteria in the identification of casual relation. The identification of the connection with work implies the necessity to consider causal relations between work factors and diseases. Nature, modality of work and work conditions in which the worker acts: risk connected to the above mentioned conditions and probability for detrimental events to occur. Influence of environmental characteristics on the risk of occurrence of tumours and the problem of the relations between tumour and subject are discussed. Direct invasiveness of neoplastic tissue is related to alterations of the immunologic control and functional remote alterations caused by the tumour itself. Tumour illness is a general phenomenon, conditioned by tissue specific and immunological modifications. Relation between cranial traumas and tumour needs all the elements collected during the study of the case reported to be evaluated. Exploitation of every single element must be evaluated with a supple mind. There is need for rules which more rigorously regulate and control the hazards in the work environment.