Mnemonic

Carcinogens and Their Tumours

A memory aid for the classic chemical, physical and biological carcinogens.

Expansion

Each agent has a characteristic tumour

Expansion

Chemical

Agent Tumour
Aflatoxin Hepatocellular carcinoma
Aniline (azo) dyes Bladder transitional cell carcinoma
Vinyl chloride Hepatic angiosarcoma
Asbestos Bronchial carcinoma and mesothelioma
Benzene Acute myeloid leukaemia
Nitrosamines Gastric and oesophageal
Arsenic Skin, lung, angiosarcoma
Alkylating agents Leukaemia
Tobacco smoke Lung, bladder, head and neck, oesophagus, pancreas

Physical: ionising radiation (leukaemia, thyroid, sarcoma), ultraviolet light (basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma), chronic irritation.

Biological

  • HPV 16 and 18 - cervical, anal and oropharyngeal carcinoma
  • EBV - Burkitt lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Hodgkin lymphoma
  • Hepatitis B and C - hepatocellular carcinoma
  • H. pylori - gastric carcinoma and MALT lymphoma
  • HHV-8 - Kaposi sarcoma
  • HTLV-1 - adult T cell leukaemia
  • Schistosoma haematobium - squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder

“Aniline for bladder, aflatoxin for liver, vinyl chloride for angiosarcoma.”

Note the two bladder cancers: aniline dyes and smoking cause transitional cell carcinoma, while schistosomiasis causes squamous cell carcinoma.