Carcinogens and Associated Cancers

Question 1

Aflatoxins

Answer 1

Hepatocellular carcinoma

Derived from Aspergillus (can contaminate stored rice grains).

Question 2

Alkylating agents

Answer 2

Leukemia/lymphoma

Side effect of chemotherapy.

Question 3

Alcohol

Answer 3

SCC of oropharynx and upper esophagus

Hepatocellular carcinoma (damage to liver –> cirrhosis

Question 4

Arsenic

Answer 4

SCC of skin, lung cancer, angiosarcoma of liver

Arsenic present in cigarette smoke. Traces can be found in skin derivatives (nails, hair).

Question 5

Asbestos

Answer 5

Lung cancer, mesothelioma

Question 6

Cigarette smoke

Answer 6

Carcinoma of oropharynx, esophagus (SCC), lung, kidney, bladder, pancreas

Most common carcinogen worldwide. Polycyclic hydrocarbons particularly carcinogenic.

Question 7

Nitrosamines

Answer 7

Stomach carcinoma

Smoked foods. Responsible for high rate of stomach carcinoma in Japan.

Question 8

Naphthylamine

Answer 8

Urothelial carcinoma of bladder

Derived from cigarette smoke.

Question 9

Vinyl chloride

Answer 9

Angiosarcoma of liver

Occupational exposure, used to make PVC in pipes.

Question 10

Nickel, chromium, beryllium, or silica

Answer 10

Lung carcinoma

Occupational exposure.

Question 11

EBV/Epstein-Barr Virus

Answer 11

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Burkitt lymphoma, CNS lymphoma in AIDS

Question 12

HHV-8

Answer 12

Kaposi sarcoma - tumor of endothelial cells, usually “purplish” raised lesions on skin

Question 13

HBV and HCV (RNA viruses)

Answer 13

Hepatocellular carcinoma

Question 14

HTLV-1

Answer 14

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma

Question 15

High-risk HPV (e.g. subtype 16, 18, 31, 33)

Answer 15

SCC of vulva, vagina, anus, and cervix

Adenocarcinoma of cervix

Question 16

Ionizing radiation (e.g. exposure from nuclear reactor accidents and radiotherapy)

Answer 16

AML, CML, papillary carcinoma of thyroid

Radiation hits water in tissues to generate ionizing free radicals that damage DNA.

Question 17

Nonionizing radiation (e.g. UVB sunlight)

Answer 17

BCC, SCC, melanoma

Result of formation of pyrimidine dimers in DNA, which are normally excised by restriction endonucleases. In xeroderma pigmentosum, mutated endonucleases results in increased risk for skin cancers.