Wood Dust Exposure at Work: Dale’s Nasopharyngeal Cancer Story

Certain exposures in the environments where people live and work can increase their chances of developing specific cancers based on the amount, duration, and route of exposure. Exposure routes, or how a contaminant enters the body, can be through ingestion (eating or drinking it), inhalation (breathing it in), or dermal contact (absorbed by the skin). The route of exposure determines what parts of the body are affected by the substance and how quickly. Not all cancer-causing exposures can be avoided, especially when they may be the materials you use at work.

One example is wood dust, recognized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and U.S. National Toxicology Program as a known human carcinogen. Individuals are exposed to wood dust when they use machines and tools to cut and shape wood. The resulting dust they inhale gets deposited in the nose, throat, and other airways. Repeated exposure over a long period of time can cause inflammation and DNA damage that increases the risk of developing cancers of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. Workers in carpentry, furniture-making, cabinet-making, and sawmilling are most exposed. One Iowan whose lifetime of carpentry work likely contributed to his early-stage nasopharyngeal (nose and throat) cancer diagnosis is Dale McGrath of Norway, Iowa.

Dale’s Story

After attending Kirkwood for electronic engineering but not finding a job for that field at the time, Dale ended up working for his uncle’s construction company and really enjoyed it. He branched out and started his own business building custom homes and remodels, while also doing woodworking projects as a hobby.

Dale originally thought he had allergies. After doing his own research and his wife insisting he get checked out, he figured he would see an ENT (ear, nose, and throat doctor), especially since he had rotator cuff surgery earlier that year and already met his deductible. At his appointment, they put a scope down his nose and found a small mass. Dale’s doctors didn’t think it was cancer at first because this type is rare in most parts of the world, including the United States, with less than one case for every 100,000 people each year. His biopsy results revealed it was cancer, and he immediately went to Hall-Perrine for cancer treatment.

Dale was told that nasopharyngeal cancer is more common in certain parts of China and South Asia, often related to dietary exposures from chemicals released when cooking salt-cured foods. These risk factors did not apply to him. He was then informed that wood dust could be the culprit, being a contractor building houses around wood all the time, with, according to Dale, no one wearing masks back in the day. Dale didn’t know about wood dust causing cancer until his diagnosis. He doesn’t think most people are aware that wood dust is a carcinogen even now.

Dale described his cancer diagnosis and treatment as a real wake-up call about what really matters in life. It helped him realize how important his friends and family are to him. He says that his family, especially his wife, really stepped up and helped him through an incredibly challenging treatment. He didn’t have surgery, but he did have chemotherapy and radiation. Once he was through treatment and feeling better, he was more cautious about wearing a mask when he’s working.

Dale’s Advice

Dale’s advice for anyone working in the trades around hazardous materials: Take the time to understand the potential risks and then follow any precautionary guidelines because they are there to protect your health. And your health is #1. Without it, not much else matters.

His advice for other survivors is to share your story if you are open to it because it may open someone’s eyes to risks they were unaware of or perhaps didn’t think could happen to them. Stories of survivorship can save lives.

Raising Awareness and Reducing Exposure

Dale recommends that if you work in fields where there are personal protective equipment (PPE) or other safety guidelines:

• Tell others
• Hold your team members accountable
• Watch out for each other

If you spend a lot of time around wood dust, some ways you can reduce your exposure include:

• Using an exhaust ventilation system
• Wearing an appropriate respirator
• Cleaning your workspace regularly

Sometimes a little nudge goes a long way. Information is power. Dale hopes stories like his can help raise awareness about the risks of working around wood dust or other materials that may lead to cancer. Thank you, Dale, for sharing your story with us, and educating our members about wood dust. We hope that each person who reads this blog post takes the time to share what you learned with someone you know. Like Dale said, information is power.