Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) - Benzene Lawsuit Lawyer

Benzene is a clear, colorless, non-corrosive, highly flammable liquid with a strong odor. It is used primarily to make other chemicals and plastics. It is commonly found in solvents, degreasers, in the dye, dry cleaning and petroleum industry. Benzene is widely used in the United States; benzene ranks in the top 20 chemicals for production volume. Some industries use benzene to make other chemicals which are used to make plastics, resins, and nylon and synthetic fibers. Benzene is also used to make some types of rubbers, lubricants, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides. Natural sources of benzene include volcanoes and forest fires. Benzene is also a natural part of crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke.

Research has shown benzene to be a carcinogen (cancer causing). With exposures from less than 5 years to more than 30 years, individuals have developed, and died from, leukemia.
Long-term exposure may affect bone marrow and blood production. Short-term exposure to high levels of benzene can cause drowsiness, dizziness, unconsciousness, and death. As many as 238,000 people may be occupationally exposed to benzene in the United States. Individuals employed in industries that make or use benzene may be exposed to the highest levels of benzene. These industries include benzene production (petrochemicals, petroleum refining, and coke and coal chemical manufacturing), rubber tire manufacturing, and storage or transport of benzene and petroleum products containing benzene. Other workers who may be exposed to benzene because of their occupations include steel workers, printers, rubber workers, shoe makers, laboratory technicians, firefighters, and gas station employees.

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is also known by several other names, including acute myeloblastic leukemia, acute myelocytic leukemia and acute nonlymphocytic leukemia. AML is not inherited or contagious. It develops when there is a defect in the immature cells in the bone marrow. The exact cause of AML is unknown, but some environmental factors are linked with AML, including exposure to radiation and benzene. AML occurs in all ages but more often in older adults. Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) symptoms result from the body not producing enough healthy blood cells. Healthy bone marrow makes blood-forming cells that grow into the three types of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. An AML patient's bone marrow makes too many blast cells (immature white blood cells). Normal blast cells turn into a type of white blood cell called granulocytes, but the leukemia blast cells do not. At the same time, the marrow cannot grow enough normal red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of diseases that affect the bone marrow and blood. About 12,000 new cases of MDS are diagnosed in the United States each year. Although children and young adults can have MDS, most MDS patients are over age 60. About twice as many men as women have the disease. The cause of MDS is not completely known, but some studies have linked it to exposure to pesticides, herbicides and the chemical benzene, which is found in unleaded gasoline. MDS is sometimes called myelodysplasia, preleukemia or smoldering leukemia