Occupational Carcinogens & Cancer Prevention: A Comprehensive Guide

Posted on Sep 4, 2024 in Medicine & Health

Occupational Carcinogens, Genotoxicity, and Carcinogenicity

Background: What are Carcinogens?

Carcinogens are substances capable of causing carcinogenesis. They can be classified into different types based on their origin and mechanism of action:

  • Various origins: radiation, infectious agents, chemicals, etc.
  • Genotoxic Carcinogens: Directly damage cellular DNA, leading to uncontrolled cell division and tumor formation.
  • Non-Genotoxic Carcinogens: Do not directly affect DNA but promote tumor growth through other mechanisms (e.g., hormones, organic compounds).

Classification of Carcinogens (in Europe):

  • Category 1: Known human carcinogens.
  • Category 2: Substances regarded as if they are carcinogenic to humans.
  • Category 3: Substances that raise concerns due to possible carcinogenic effects, but with insufficient evidence for a conclusive assessment.

Common Occupational Carcinogens and Associated Cancers:

  • Arsenic and its compounds: Lung, skin, hemangiosarcoma.
  • Asbestos: Lung, mesothelioma, gastrointestinal tumors.
  • Benzene: Leukemia and lymphoma.
  • Beryllium: Lung carcinoma.
  • Cadmium: Prostate cancer.
  • Ethylene oxide: Leukemia.
  • Nickel: Nose and lung cancer.
  • Involuntary smoking: Lung cancer.

Suspect Substances and Related Occupations:

(Table summarizing suspect substances and corresponding occupations – formatting for clarity would be beneficial in the actual HTML)

Testing Genotoxicity and Carcinogenicity:

Ames Test:

  • Utilizes Salmonella typhimurium strains with mutations in histidine synthesis genes.
  • Measures the ability of a compound to revert growth on a histidine-free medium.
  • Positive result indicates genotoxicity, but a negative result doesn’t guarantee non-genotoxicity.

GreenScreen HC Genotoxicity Test:

  • Employs a genotoxicity screening solution.
  • Accurately identifies genotoxins and non-genotoxins.

SOS-Chromo Test:

  • Uses genetically engineered E. coli to measure the primary cellular response to DNA damage.
  • Provides rapid results through visual evaluation of DNA damage based on color change.

Carcinogenicity Tests:

  • Assess the cancer risk associated with chemical or physical agents.
  • Include animal tests, epidemiological studies, and bacterial tests.

Anticarcinogenic Dietary Factors and Primary Prevention of Tumorigenesis

Anticarcinogenic Diet:

A diet rich in antioxidant vitamins and flavonoids is considered anticarcinogenic.

Primary Prevention of Tumorigenesis:

  • Education on avoiding identified cancer risk factors.
  • Promoting healthy habits.
  • Smoking cessation.
  • Dietary modifications.
  • Avoiding excessive sun exposure.
  • Vaccinations (HBV, HPV, etc.).
  • Surgical prevention for high-risk organs (e.g., conization or hysterectomy for cervical dysplasia).
  • Cancer Chemoprevention: Using natural or synthetic agents to prevent, suppress, or reverse cancer development (e.g., isoretinoids, NSAIDs like piroxicam and aspirin).
  • Prevention of hormonally driven cancers (e.g., tamoxifen for breast cancer, finasteride for prostate cancer).