Effects of Chemical Weapons on Cancer Development in Human
https://doi.org/10.24017/science.2016.1.1.5
Abstract views: 1862 / PDF downloads: 1660Abstract
Although use of chemical weapons has low probability, it can cause a large scale casualties among exposed people if it is used. These kind of weapons have been used by human being since ancient history. However, the first large scale usage started with World War I followed by World War II. Several regulations and guidelines have been set by different organizations such as North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to limit the usage of these weapons. However, till the present time the world is not free from the risk of these weapons on human life.While the effects of chemical weapons on certain human systems including respiratory and immune systems as well as the dermatological complications have been extensively studied, the relation between chemical weapons and cancer development has not been fully understood. This review addresses the definition and usage of chemical weapons in addition to the types of chemical agents used in their production. Evidences about the chemical weapons and cancer development have also been thoroughly discussed. In summary, it appears that data regarding carcinogenicity of chemical weapons in human are both limited and contradictory. Accordingly, any claim about the carcinogenic effects of these kind of weapons in the exposed victims need to be properly validated.
Keywords:
Chemical weapons, Chemical agents, Cancer, Sulfer Mustard, Nerve agents
References
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[19] Salih, A. H., B. M. A. Al-Jaff and B. M. M. (2008). "The effect of chemical warfare agents on the immune system of survivors in Halabja." Journal of Zankoy Sulaimani (JZS) 11(1): 41-52.
https://doi.org/10.17656/jzs.10179
[20] Salih, A. H., B. M. A. Al-Jaff and B. M. M. (2009). "COMMON HEALTH COMPLAINS AMONG CHEMICAL BOMBARDMENT SURVIVORS IN HALABJA." J. Duhok Univ 12(1): 312-316.
[21] Szinicz, L. (2005). "History of chemical and biological warfare agents." Toxicology 214(3): 167-181.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tox.2005.06.011
[22] Takeshima, Y., K. Inai, W. P. Bennett, R. A. Metcalf, J. A. Welsh, S. Yonehara, Y. Hayashi, M. Fujihara, M. Yamakido, M. Akiyama and et al. (1994). "p53 mutations in lung cancers from Japanese mustard gas workers." Carcinogenesis 15(10): 2075-2079.
https://doi.org/10.1093/carcin/15.10.2075
[23] Wada, S. and S. Kambe (1968). "[Air pollution and lung cancer]." Gan No Rinsho 14(11): 916-921. WMD. (2015). "Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD): History of usage and proliferation,." Social issues and debate topics webpage, Library Index. Retrieved December 28th, 2015, from http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/1888/Prolifera tion-Weapons-Mass-Destruction-WMD- HISTORY-USAGE-PROLIFERATION.html.
[24] Zafarghandi, M. R., M. R. Soroush, M. Mahmoodi, K. H. Naieni, A. Ardalan, A. Dolatyari, F. Falahati, M. Mirmohammadkhani, B. Mousavi and M. Ghanei (2013). "Incidence of cancer in Iranian sulfur mustard exposed veterans: a long-term follow-up cohort study." Cancer Causes Control 24(1): 99- 105.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-0094-8
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0080455X00130097
[2] Case, R. A. and A. J. Lea (1955). "Mustard gas poisoning, chronic bronchitis, and lung cancer; an investigation into the possibility that poisoning by mustard gas in the 1914-18 war might be a factor in the production of neoplasia." Br J Prev Soc Med 9(2): 62-72.
https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.9.2.62
[3] Chemical Weapons. (2015). "Chemical weapons." Fact sheets, critical issues Retrieved December 28th, 2015, from http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/resources/fact- sheets/critical-issues/4582-chemical-weapons.
[4] Cogliano, V. J., R. Baan, K. Straif, Y. Grosse, B.Lauby-Secretan, F. El Ghissassi, V. Bouvard, L. Benbrahim-Tallaa, N. Guha, C. Freeman, L. Galichet and C. P. Wild (2011). "Preventable exposures associated with human cancers." J Natl Cancer Inst 103(24): 1827-1839.
https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djr483
[5] Dacre, J. C. and M. Goldman (1996). "Toxicology and pharmacology of the chemical warfare agent sulfur mustard." Pharmacol Rev 48(2): 289-326.
[6] Deutsch, S., R. Darbellay, R. Offord, A. Frutiger, J. Kister, H. Wajcman and P. Beris (1999). "Hb Iraq- Halabja beta10 (A7) Ala-->Val (GCC-->GTC): a new beta-chain silent variant in a family with multiple Hb disorders." Am J Hematol 61(3): 187- 193.
https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1096-8652(199907)61:3<187::AID-AJH5>3.0.CO;2-7
[7] Easton, D. F., J. Peto and R. Doll (1988). "Cancers of the respiratory tract in mustard gas workers." Br J Ind Med 45(10): 652-659.Ghanei, M. and A. A. Harandi (2010). "Lung carcinogenicity of sulfur mustard." Clin Lung Cancer 11(1): 13-17.
https://doi.org/10.3816/CLC.2010.n.002
[8] Ghanei, M. and A. A. Vosoghi (2002). "An epidemiologic study to screen for chronic myelocytic leukemia in war victims exposed to mustard gas." Environ Health Perspect 110(5): 519-521.
https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.02110519
[9] Gupta, R. C. (2015). Handbook of toxicology of chemical warfare agents. London, England, Elsevier : AP: 1 online resource (1,199 pages).
[10] Haines, D. D. and S. C. Fox (2014). "Acute and Long- Term Impact of Chemical Weapons: Lessons from the Iran-Iraq War." Forensic Sci Rev 26(2): 97-114.
[11] Heston, W. E. (1950). "Carcinogenic action of the mustards." J Natl Cancer Inst 11(2): 415-423. IARC (1975). "IARC monographs on the evaluation of the carcinogenic risk of chemicals to man: some aziridines, N-, S- & O-mustards and selenium." IARC Monogr Eval Carcinog Risk Chem Man 9: 1- 268.
[12] IARC (1987). "Overall evaluations of carcinogenicity:an updating of IARC Monographs volumes 1 to42." IARC Monogr Eval Carcinog Risks HumSuppl 7: 1-440.
[13] IARC (2012). " IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Vol 100, A Review of Human Carcinogens . ." IARC Monogr Eval Carcinog Risks Hum 100(Pts A-F).
[14] Karbasi-Afshar, R., Y. Panahi and A. Saburi (2013). "Other considerations about carcinogenicity of sulfur mustard." Cancer Causes Control 24(12): 2251-2252.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-013-0300-3
[15] Manning, K. P., D. C. Skegg, P. M. Stell and R. Doll (1981). "Cancer of the larynx and other occupational hazards of mustard gas workers." Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci 6(3): 165-170.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2273.1981.tb01527.x
[16] NATO Handbook on the Medical Aspects (1996).NATO Handbook on the Medical Aspects of NBC Defensive Operations, "Part III - Chemical":, U.S. Department of Defense, Department of the Army, February 1996. Norman, J. E., Jr. (1975). "Lung cancer mortality in World War I veterans with mustard-gas injury: 1919-1965." J Natl Cancer Inst 54(2): 311-317. OPCW (2015). Brief Description of Chemical Weapons, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Retrieved December 28th, 2015.
[17] OPCW Fact Sheet 4. (2015). "What is a Chemical Weapon?" Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Retrieved December 28th, 2015, from https://www.opcw.org/fileadmin/OPCW/Fact_She ets/Fact_Sheet_4_-_CW_types.pdf.
[18] Reutter, S. (1999). "Hazards of chemical weapons release during war: new perspectives." Environ Health Perspect 107(12): 985-990.
https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.99107985
[19] Salih, A. H., B. M. A. Al-Jaff and B. M. M. (2008). "The effect of chemical warfare agents on the immune system of survivors in Halabja." Journal of Zankoy Sulaimani (JZS) 11(1): 41-52.
https://doi.org/10.17656/jzs.10179
[20] Salih, A. H., B. M. A. Al-Jaff and B. M. M. (2009). "COMMON HEALTH COMPLAINS AMONG CHEMICAL BOMBARDMENT SURVIVORS IN HALABJA." J. Duhok Univ 12(1): 312-316.
[21] Szinicz, L. (2005). "History of chemical and biological warfare agents." Toxicology 214(3): 167-181.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tox.2005.06.011
[22] Takeshima, Y., K. Inai, W. P. Bennett, R. A. Metcalf, J. A. Welsh, S. Yonehara, Y. Hayashi, M. Fujihara, M. Yamakido, M. Akiyama and et al. (1994). "p53 mutations in lung cancers from Japanese mustard gas workers." Carcinogenesis 15(10): 2075-2079.
https://doi.org/10.1093/carcin/15.10.2075
[23] Wada, S. and S. Kambe (1968). "[Air pollution and lung cancer]." Gan No Rinsho 14(11): 916-921. WMD. (2015). "Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD): History of usage and proliferation,." Social issues and debate topics webpage, Library Index. Retrieved December 28th, 2015, from http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/1888/Prolifera tion-Weapons-Mass-Destruction-WMD- HISTORY-USAGE-PROLIFERATION.html.
[24] Zafarghandi, M. R., M. R. Soroush, M. Mahmoodi, K. H. Naieni, A. Ardalan, A. Dolatyari, F. Falahati, M. Mirmohammadkhani, B. Mousavi and M. Ghanei (2013). "Incidence of cancer in Iranian sulfur mustard exposed veterans: a long-term follow-up cohort study." Cancer Causes Control 24(1): 99- 105.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-0094-8
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B. A. Muhammad, “Effects of Chemical Weapons on Cancer Development in Human”, KJAR, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 50–60, Mar. 2016, doi: 10.24017/science.2016.1.1.5.
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