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| used for the treatment of cancer, can sometimes cause other cancers to form and/or cause cancer to spread more aggressively to other areas of the body. |
| Chemical Causes of Cancer |
| Chemical carcinogens can transform the cell through somatic mutation (nonreproductive cells or tissues) and alter existing DNA. Some of the most common of these carcinogens are: |
| Tobacco. At the top of the list of substances that contain carcinogens, and perhaps the most publicized, is tobacco. Chemists have identified at least a dozen carcinogenic chemicals of the hydrocarbon type in the tars from tobacco. Tobacco smokers are at a greater risk than nonsmokers for cancers of the lung, throat, kidney, mouth, bladder, and pancreas. Scientists estimate that smoking accounts for about 30 percent of all cancers. Secondhand smoke is a major health hazard to nonsmokers as well. |
| Alcohol. The association between excessive alcohol consumption and cancer of the mouth, larynx, throat, liver, breast, and esophagus has been well established. |
| Pharmaceutical estrogens. Diethylstilbestrol (DES), a drug once given to pregnant women to prevent miscarriage, has been linked to cancer in their offspring. Estrogen replacement therapy prescribed for menopausal women increases the risk of uterine, breast, liver, and endometrial cancer. |
| Other carcinogens, perhaps not as well known but equally dangerous, are listed below: |
| Aflatoxins. This carcinogen is a known cause of liver cancer. In some parts of Africa, where the level of aflatoxins in foods is high, cancer of the liver is quite common. Two foods at risk for aflatoxin contamination are corn and peanuts. However, there are reliable organic sources for these foods. The companies listed in Resources test for aflatoxins. |
| Alkylating agents. This category includes such chemicals as mustard gas, which is associated with cancers of the lung and bone marrow. This is not a threat to most people, but in some areas of the world it is a concern. |
| Aromatic amines. Aniline dye workers who are exposed to these chemicals have a higher than average risk of getting bladder cancer. |
| Arsenic. This chemical element, used in metallurgy, can cause lung and skin cancer. |
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