Introduction to Cancer
David E. Thurston, Ilona Pysz in Chemistry and Pharmacology of Anticancer Drugs, 2021
The radio frequency electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones are absorbed by the body and particularly by the head when the handset is held close to the ear. However, studies into the possible health consequences of frequent handset use has proved inconclusive because the technology has only been widely used within the last two decades, whereas it can take many decades for cancer to develop. In 2010, an IARC study known as “Interphone” suggested that making phone calls for more than half an hour a day over 10 years could increase the risk of developing gliomas in the brain or spine by 40%. In early 2011, 31 scientists from 14 countries reviewed the Interphone data and other studies, including a Swedish study that showed an increased brain tumor risk among mobile users. It was concluded that there was “limited” evidence that mobile phones are linked to brain cancer, suggesting that it could be down to chance rather than causation. They decided that although there was inadequate proof that mobile phones cause cancer, evidence is still accumulating and, in the meantime, some element of risk should be assumed with a need to monitor any links between mobile phones and cancer risk. It is noteworthy that the classification of mobile phones as “possibly carcinogenic” is the third highest rating the IARC has used in listing more than 900 agents. This rating is just below “carcinogenic to humans” (e.g., cigarettes) and “probably carcinogenic” (e.g., diesel exhausts and creosote).
Chemical Carcinogenesis in Skin: Causation, Mechanism, and Role of Oncogenes
Rhoda G. M. Wang, James B. Knaak, Howard I. Maibach in Health Risk Assessment, 2017
The most common cancer occurring in the human population is the skin neoplasia which, among other factors, is believed to be associated with the skin’s continuing direct exposure to the environment. Of all the new cancers diagnosed annually in the U.S. and Europe, almost one third have been estimated to originate in the skin. The role of environmental agents in causation of skin cancer is gaining increasing attention due to the alarming rise in skin cancer incidences. While solar radiation is the major cause of growing incidences of skin cancer, it is beyond doubt that significant levels of cancer-causing chemical agents, especially automobile exhaust and tobacco smoke present in the environment, contribute substantially to the skin cancer risk in humans. The risk factors for human skin cancer include environmental pollutants, occupational exposure to coal tar, pitch, creosote, arsenic compounds, radium, and excessive exposure to the sun.
Acute erythematous rash on the face
Richard Ashton, Barbara Leppard in Differential Diagnosis in Dermatology, 2021
A phototoxic rash looks like sunburn but occurs in a patient who has not been exposed to excessive sunlight. It is caused by sunlight plus: Chemicals applied to the skin, e.g. psoralens in sun creams, PDT (Photodynamic therapy) photosensitizers, e.g. 5-amino-levulinic acid.Accidental contamination of the skin by wood tars in creosote.Drugs taken by mouth e.g: antiarrhythmics: amiodarone (30–50% of patients on this drug), quinidineantibiotics: doxycycline, nalidixic acid, quinolones, e.g. ciprofloxacindiuretics: thiazides & furosemidehypoglycaemics: sulphonylureasNSAIDs: e.g. naproxenphenothiazines: chlorpromazinepsoralenssulphonamidesmany of the newer small molecule anti-cancer drugs (e.g. vemurafenib) used in treating metastatic melanoma (see p. 37).
Levels of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediment samples from selected Jordanian dams
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2021
Sharif Arar, Mahmoud Alawi, Ali Alnawaiseh, Mohanad Masad
The anthropogenic sources include products of incomplete combustion of organic material in the coal, petroleum and metal smelting industries (Keith 1977, Bradley et al. 1994). They also include urban runoffs and deterioration of asphalt pavement surfaces and car tires. PAHs are ubiquitous and there exist several hundreds of them in the environment (Wild and Jones 1995, Ramesh et al. 2004). They are usually found as a mixture containing two or more of these compounds and commercially available pure PAHs are usually colorless, white or pale yellow-green solids which are odorless or have a faintly pleasant odor (Buha 2011). Some PAHs are used in medicines, dyes, plastics, and pesticides. Others are contained in asphalt used in road construction as well as found in substances such as crude oil, coal, coal tar pitch, creosote, and roofing tar (ATSDR 1995).
Differential effect of NDGA on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in Spargue-Dawley rats
Published in Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology, 2019
Nitin Mundhe, Parveen Kumar, Ishan Arora, Sahabuddin Ahmed, Mangala Lahkar
In this setting, the use of chemo-protective agents having anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties have become an offhand approach to ameliorate renal damage induced by cisplatin. Nordihydroguaiarectic acid (NDGA) is a phenolic lignin which is obtained from creosote bush, larria tridenta and larria divarita also known as chaparral or grease wood [1,13]. In ancient times, various indigenous tribes of North America like Seri, Pima, Yaqui, Mericopa has used the extract of NDGA for treatment of many diseases like diabetes, cancer, chicken pox, gall bladder, and kidney stones [14]. Numerous reports revealed that NDGA is a potent in vitro scavenger of reactive nitrogen species (RNS), reactive oxygen species (ROS), singlet oxygen (1O2), hydroxyl radical (•OH), superoxide anion (O2−•), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), in consort with this, it has estrogenic activity in vivo [15,16].
Characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with PM10 emitted from the largest composting facility in the Middle East
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2021
Abbas Norouzian Baghani, Zohreh Bahmani, Armin Sorooshian, Mahdi Farzadkia, Ramin Nabizadeh, Mahdieh Delikhoon, Abdullah Barkhordari, Roshanak Rezaei Kalantary, Somayeh Golbaz, Majid Kermani, Qadir Ashournejad, Abbas Shahsavani
In addition, other anthropogenic PAHs emissions in the environment that were observed in the processing and aeration sites of this study were wood materials treated with creosote or tarry and sewage sludge. These materials included different PAHs species, especially Ant, Phe, and Pyr, which is in line with the findings of former studies (Abdel-Shafy and Mansour 2016, U.S. EPA 2008). Also, according to Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), creosote-impregnated waste materials (CIWM) such as railway ties, bridge timbers, pilings, and lumber were the main sources of PAHs species; these species can constitute up to 90% of these waste products (Canadian 1994), which is consistent with the results of our study.