Nasal carcinoma in woodworkers: a review

Analysis of data from 12 countries revealed that 61.3% of cases of primary cancer of the upper respiratory tract, and 78.5% of those classified as adenocarcinoma, observed in areas in which furniture making or other manipulation of wood was an important occupation, had occurred in woodworkers. Machine sanding of hardwoods may entail an especially high risk of development of cancer within the sinonasal area. The data suggest that, although the mean period of latency for development of sinonasal cancers is of the order of 40 to 45 years, the period of exposure to wood dust that may result in the development of mucosal neoplasms may be considerably shorter.