Those who work in the railroad industry are exposed to many dangerous chemicals on a daily basis. For some, that exposure can lead to railroad work cancer.

At times, those who have developed railroad work cancer do so long after their careers with the railroad has ended. They may not understand that their cancer symptoms are related to their exposure to dangerous chemicals and substances as a result of their railroad work. Railroad workers are exposed to many dangerous substances, such as benzene and asbestos.

Railroad Work Cancer and Benzene

Benzene is a known carcinogen that can be found regularly in solvents and in diesel fuels and exhaust. It has been regulated in the United States for a couple of decades, but is still found in the environment when diesel fuel is burned.

Benzene is colorless and flammable, and it used to be an additive for certain materials such as plastics, lubricants, rubbers, dyes, pesticides, drugs and detergents.

Railroad workers can be exposed to benzene via inhalation or via contact with the skin. Either way, benzene exposure could cause a railroad worker to develop cancer. Some railroad work cancer types include bladder cancer, colon cancer, cancer of the esophagus, rectal cancer, throat cancer, lung cancer, multiple myeloma, laryngeal cancer and leukemia.

Leukemia is one of the more common railroad worker cancers associated with benzene exposure. According to the American Cancer Society, rates of acute myeloid leukemia are known to be higher in workers who have been exposed to benzene in certain industries including the oil refining, shoemaking, and chemical industries.

In the lab, benzene exposure is shown to result in chromosomal changes in bone marrow.

Railroad Work Cancer and Asbestos

Asbestos is also a hazardous material that may cause railroad work cancer. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is mined from the earth. It has been used to make things flame retardant and heat resistant.

When those who are exposed to asbestos, like those in the railroad industry, inhale asbestos fibers, those fibers cannot be exhaled.

Asbestos fibers remain in the lungs of anyone who inhales it. Over time, these fibers cause inflammation which in turn may cause cancer cells to grow. Asbestos fibers may cause asbestos lung cancer as well as a serious form of cancer known as mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs and surrounding organs, is nearly always caused by asbestos. Mesothelioma is often not discovered until decades after exposure. Many times, because of this late diagnosis, this type of railroad work cancer can be fatal.

Asbestos can be found in parts of locomotives, in railroad shops and in repair shops.

Other types of railroad work cancer can be caused by creosote exposure. Creosote, if exposed to the skin, may cause skin cancer or scrotum cancer.

If you or someone you love has developed railroad work cancer as a result of workplace exposure to benzene, asbestos or even creosote, you may be eligible for legal compensation.