Carcinogens are commonly asked in medical exams (be it USMLE, PLAB, NEET).
Direct one-liners are asked about which carcinogen causes which cancer, and the mechanism of the carcinogenicity.
More commonly though, exposure to carcinogen(s) is mentioned as a clinical clue in Clinical Vignettes, where the clue often clinches the diagnosis.
Go through the following HIGH YIELD TABLE several times and commit every single one to memory.
| Chemical Agents | Cancer Caused |
| Asbestos | Mesothelioma |
| Androgens, Aflatoxin | Hepatocellular carcinoma |
| Vinyl chloride | Hepatic angiosarcoma |
| Alcohol (Fetal alcohol syndrome), prenatal phenytoin | Neuroblastoma |
| Cyclophosphamide | Bladder cancer, leukemia |
| Aniline dyes | Bladder cancer |
| Intramuscular iron | Sarcoma at injection site |
| Pesticides | Possible leukemia, brain tumours |
| Benzene | Leukemia, myelodydplasia |
| Phytoestrogens | Reduced risk for breast cancer |
| chloramphenicol , Alkylating agents, Topoisomerase II inhibitors | Leiukemia |
| Immunosuppressant drugs , Phenytoin | Lymphoma |
| Microbiologic agents | Cancer Caused |
| Hepatitis B,C viruses | Hepatic carcinoma |
| Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) | Leiomyosarcoma |
| Schistosoma hemotabium | Bladder carcinoma |
| Clonorchis sinesis | Biliary tract cancer |
| Epstein-Barr virus | African Burkitt’s lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, post- transplant lymphoma |
| Human herpes virus 8 | Kaposi’s sarcoma |
| Human papilloma virus | Cervical cancer |
| Human T Lymphotropic virus I | T-cell lymphoma |
| Simian virus 40 | Possible ependymoma, choroidb plexus tumour, oesteosarcoma,mesothelioma |
Another question that is asked on the topic goes something like this
Which of the following is NOT a carcinogen?
A) ___________
B) ___________
C) ___________
D) ___________
To answer a question like this, you would need to go through this comprehensive list of known carcinogens.
I know it is difficult to remember, but do give it a read, since this one is an important topic.
A
Acetaldehyde
2-Acetylaminofluorene
Acrylamide
Acrylonitrile
Aldrin
4-Aminodiphenyl
Amitrole
Aniline and homologs
o-Anisidine
Arsenic and inorganic arsenic compounds
Arsine
Asbestos
Asphalt fumes
B
Benzene
Benzidine
Benzidine-based dyes
Beryllium
Butadiene
tert-Butyl chromate; class, chromium hexavalent
C
Cadmium dust and fume
Captafol
Captan
Carbon black (exceeding 0.1% PAHs)
Carbon tetrachloride
Chlordane
Chlorinated camphene
Chlorodiphenyl (42% chlorine); class polychlorinated biphenyls
Chlorodiphenyl (54% chlorine); class polychlorinated biphenyls
Chloroform
Chloromethyl methyl ether
bis(Chloromethyl) ether
B-Chloroprene
Chromium, hexavalent [Cr(VI)]
Chromyl chloride; class, chromium hexavalent
Chrysene
Coal tar pitch volatiles; class, coal tar products
Coke oven emissions
D
DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)
Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP)
2,4-Diaminoanisoleo
o-Dianisidine-based dyes
1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP)
Dichloroacetylene
p-Dichlorobenzene
3,3′-Dichlorobenzidine
Dichloroethyl ether
1,3-Dichloropropene
Dieldrin
Diesel exhaust
Diglycidyl ether (DGE); class, glycidyl ethers
4-Dimethylaminoazobenzene
Dimethyl carbomoyl chloride
1,1-Dimethylhydrazine; class, hydrazines
Dimethyl sulfate
Dinitrotoluene
Dioxane
E-G
Environmental tobacco smoke
Epichlorohydrin
Ethyl acrylate
Ethylene dibromide
Ehtylene dichloride
Ethylene oxide
Ethyleneimine
Ethylene thiourea
Formaldehyde
Gallium arsenide
Gasoline
H-K
Heptachlor
Hexachlorobutadiene
Hexachloroethane
Hexamethyl phosphoric triamide (HMPA)
Hydrazine
Kepone
M
Malonaldehyde
Methoxychlor
Methyl bromide; class, monohalomethanes
Methyl chloride
Methyl iodide; class, monohalomethanes
Methyl hydrazine; class, hydrazines
4,4′-Methylenebis(2-chloroaniline) (MBOCA)
Methylene chloride
4,4-Methylenedianiline (MDA)
N
α-Naphthylamine (alpha-naphthylamine)
β-Naphthylamine (beta-naphthylamine)
Nickel, metal, soluble, insoluble, and inorganic; class, nickel, inorganic
Nickel carbonyl
Nickel sulfide roasting
4-Nitrobiphenyl
p-Nitrochlorobenzene
2-Nitronaphthalene
2-Nitropropane
N-Nitrosodimethylamine
P
Pentachloroethane; class, chloroethanes
N-Phenyl-b-naphthylamine; class, b-naphthalene
Phenyl glycidyl ether; class, glycidyl ethers
Phenylhydrazine; class, hydrazines
Propane Sultone
B-Propiolactone
Propylene dichloride
Proplyene imine
Propylene oxide
R-S
Radon
Rosin core solder, pyrolysis products (containing formaldehyde)
Silica, crystalline cristobalite
Silica, crystalline quartz
Silica, crystalline tripoli
Silica, crystalline tridymite
silica, fused
Soapstone, total dust silicates
T
Tremolite silicates
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) (dioxin)
1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane
Tetrachloroethylene
Titanium dioxide
o-Tolidine-based dyes
o-Tolidine
Toluene diisocyanate (TDI)
Toluene diamine (TDA)
o-Toluidine
p-Toluidine
1,1,2-Trichloroethane; class, chloroethanes
Trichloroethylene
1,2,3-Trichloropropane
U-Z
Uranium, insoluble compounds Uranium, soluble compounds
Vinyl bromide; class, vinyl halides
Vinyl chloride
Vinyl cyclohexene dioxide
Vinylidene chloride (1,1-dichloroethylene); class, vinyl halides)
Welding fumes, total particulates
Wood dust
Zinc chromate; class, chromium hexavalent