Cancer Causing Agents
Beware of Highly Toxic Chemicals

Knowing the kinds of cancer causing agents or highly toxic chemicals in the environment is an important part of prevention.

What are these poisonous substances? Asbestos, benzene and formaldelhyde are some of them. They are considered as work hazards because of their toxicity. People who work in places that require contact with these substances face a higher risk for tumor.

And here's a grim truth: Exposure to these toxic industrial chemicals causes tumors and may also lead to other health problems.

First, let's find out what these poisonous chemicals are and what types of diseases they may lead to.

Kinds of Cancer Causing Substances

• Asbestos

  Asbestos is one of the known cancer causing agents that is a work hazard. No less than the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the IARC claim the carcinogenicity of asbestos.

  It may be present in the workplace, your community and even in your home without you knowing it.

  When you inhale those tiny asbestos fibers that are in the air, they may get trapped in the lungs and stay there for a long time. These fibers can accumulate, causing scarring and inflammation in your lungs.

  The inflammation can affect breathing and eventually, lead to serious and, even deadly, health problems.

  Exposure to cancer causing agents like asbestos may be a reason for what causes the following types of tumors:

  • Lung (See Facts About Lung Cancer)

  • Mesothelioma

    Mesothelioma is one of the rare types that attacks the thin membranes which line your chest and abdomen. Although rare, mesothelioma is the most common associated with asbestos exposure.

  • Gastrointestinal

  • Colorectal (See What Causes Colon Cancer)

  • Throat

  • Kidney

  • Esophageal, and

  • Gallbladder

  Other health problems that asbestos exposure may cause are...

  • Asbestosis

    This is a chronic lung disease that can cause shortness of breath, coughing, and worse, permanent lung damage.

  • Nonmalignant lung disorders

  • Pleural disorders like pleural plaques, thickening or effusions

    Pleurals are the membranes surrounding your lungs. Pleural effusions are characterized by abnormal collections of fluid between the thin layers of tissue lining the lung and the wall of the chest cavity.

    If you have any of the pleural diseases caused by asbestos exposure, you may be at increased risk for tumors to develop in your lungs.

  It can take 10 to 40 years for symptoms and signs of asbestos-related diseases to appear. And if you smoke and are exposed heavily to asbestos, your risk for tumors to develop in your lungs is now tripled.

  
  

• Benzene

  

  Benzene is a clear, colorless and flammable liquid that is present in crude oil and petroleum.

  It is one of the agents used to make other chemicals and products such as detergents, dyes and plastics. It is released to the air as a by-product of fuel combustion and tobacco burning.

  Is benzene one of the cancer causing agents? Yes it is. According to the IARC, exposure to high levels of benzene lowers your white blood cell count and causes leukemia in particular. (See Leukemia Facts)

  How does benzene get into your body?

  • through smoking because cigarettes contain benzene; (Read Dangers of Smoking)

  • when you breathe second hand smoke

  • through gas pumping

  • from driving

  • from air pollution

  
  

• Formaldehyde

  Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable and strong-smelling gas. It is used to manufacture building materials such as plywood and fiberboard. It is also used to produce household products such as glues, adhesives and insulation materials.

  It is one of the chemical agents used as fungicide, disinfectant and preservative in mortuaries and medical laboratories.

  Exposure to formaldehyde can lead to negative effects on your health such as:

  • watery eyes

  • burning sensations in the eyes, nose and throat

  • coughing

  • wheezing

  • nausea

  • skin irritations

  In 1987, the U.S. Environmental protection Agency classified formaldehyde as one of the probable carcinogenic chemicals.

  In 1995, the IARC likewise concluded that it is one of the known chemical agents considered as probable carcinogen.

  It was only in 2004 that the same agency reclassified formaldehyde as a known carcinogen.

  Prolonged exposure to formaldehyde, one of the chemicals causing cancer, may lead to these particular types:

  • Nasal,

  • Nasopharyngeal, and

  • Leukemia.

Protect yourself from these highly toxic chemicals that can trigger the onset of tumors. Cancer prevention is easier now that you are aware of the types of cancer causing agents.

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