Nasal cancer in a worker exposed to formaldehyde

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.