Nasal cancer in a worker exposed to formaldehyde

W. E. Halperin, M. Goodman, L. Stayner, L. J. Elliott, R. A. Keenlyside and P. J. Landrigan

Formaldehyde has not been established as a human carcinogen. Toxicological studies have, however, demonstrated that formaldehyde causes squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal cavity in rats. A case of squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal cavity occurred in a 57-year-old man who had 25 years of occupational exposure to low concentrations of formaldehyde in the textile-finishing industry.