Leukemia and Benzene

Excerpt

Estimates of the proportion of cancers attributable to occupational exposures range from l% to 38% (1). This quantification is hampered by many factors, including latency between past exposures and onset of disease, and difficulty in assigning the contribution of any single agent in the face of multifactorial causes. Knowledge of the true contribution of workplace exposures to overall rates has obvious importance given the inherently preventable nature of occupationally induced cancers.

While debates about cancer rates continue, workers continue to be exposed to known carcinogens. A specific instance is the case of benzene and leukemia as highlighted by a recent