One of the most important and effective ways of preventing multiple myeloma is to prevent its risk factors. In this regard, one of the most common risk factors for multiple myeloma is exposure to toxic substances. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry or the ATSDR, which is a part of the Health and Human Services department in the U.S., certain chemicals have been classified as the cause of cancer in humans. Direct and long-term exposure to these chemicals is known to have many repercussions on human health. One of the major repercussions is the onset of cancers such as multiple myeloma.
To prevent the toxic risk factors for multiple myeloma, it is important to understand them. So, read on to know more about these chemical exposures.
What causes multiple myeloma?
There are several toxic chemicals that are considered to be risk factors for multiple myeloma. More than enough studies have been conducted which show which chemicals can cause this disease. According to these researches, the following chemicals can have toxic effects:
- Agent Orange: A herbicide, Agent Orange contains dioxins that were used by the U.S military to destroy crops in Vietnam during the war. In a 2015 study, a link was found between the amount of this toxic chemical found in the blood of the soldiers who were in Vietnam and their risk of developing myeloma. Therefore, to prevent the condition, it is important to limit exposure to this chemical.
- Benzene: This chemical is one of the 20 most commonly used chemicals in the United States. Studies that have linked the development of myeloma with exposure to benzene date back to 1897. Additionally, two recent analyses were done in 2015 and 2017 and have confirmed the link between benzene and cancer.
- Glyphosate: Exposure to this herbicide is also considered to be a risk factor for multiple myeloma in agriculture workers. Glyphosate is a common ingredient found in popular weed killers which are widely used in agricultural farms, especially on the ones that grow genetically modified crops. Some years back, a report published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a part of the World Health Organization, indicated the toxic effects of glyphosate and called its use a ‘probable’ cause of cancer. This finding has been supported by many including the state of California.
Other chemical risk factors
Another very important risk factor for multiple myeloma is the consumption of processed food. A French study recently linked ‘ultra-processed’ food with the development of cancer. Processed foods that have found to be risk factors for various types of cancer include industrially processed foods like biscuits, juices, pastries, and even processed vegetables. These contain many harmful chemicals added to increase shelf-life and taste.
In another study, exposure to cumulative phthalate has been linked with an increase in the plastic-based chemicals in the body. The exposure to cumulative phthalate was also linked with dining out frequently.
