Non-clinical sciences/Pathology · Carcinogenesis

Carcinogens

What it means

Chemical/physical: aromatic amines→bladder; aflatoxin→HCC; asbestos→mesothelioma/lung; smoking→lung/bladder/head & neck; alcohol→oral/oesophageal/breast/HCC; UV→skin; ionising radiation→thyroid/leukaemia. Viral/microbial: HPV, EBV, HBV/HCV, HHV-8, HTLV-1, H. pylori (gastric adenocarcinoma + MALT).

Worked example

Aniline-dye (aromatic-amine) exposure is a classic cause of bladder transitional-cell carcinoma.

In the exam

A retired dye-industry worker presents with painless haematuria and is found to have a bladder transitional-cell carcinoma.

What settles it

Match agent to organ: aromatic amines→bladder, aflatoxin→liver, asbestos→pleura. (Tested via the oncogenic-agent match set.)

Classically confused with

Tumour markers

Source: StatPearls — Carcinogenesis