Yes, long-term exposure to ethylene oxide has been linked to several types of cancer, especially blood cancers and breast cancer. Ethylene oxide, often called EtO, is a colorless gas used to sterilize medical equipment and make other chemicals. Federal health agencies classify it as a known human carcinogen, and people who worked around it or lived near facilities that released it into the air have raised serious concerns about their health.
Many people had never heard of this chemical until news reports began connecting it to cancer clusters near sterilization plants. Learning about ethylene oxide exposure and cancer risk can help families understand whether their own health history might be connected to where they lived or worked. This guide explains what EtO is, how exposure happens, which illnesses are linked to it, and what steps people can take if they are worried.
What Ethylene Oxide Is and Why It Is Used
Ethylene oxide is a flammable gas with a faint, sweet smell. It is very good at killing bacteria, viruses, and fungi, which makes it valuable for sterilizing items that cannot handle high heat or steam. Many medical products are sterilized this way, including surgical kits, catheters, syringes, and other devices with plastic parts.
EtO is also used to make other chemicals, such as ethylene glycol, which goes into antifreeze, polyester, and plastics. Because it is so useful, facilities that handle it can be found in many parts of the country, including commercial sterilizers, chemical plants, and some hospitals.
How People Are Exposed
Most people are exposed to ethylene oxide by breathing it in. The gas can escape from facilities through vents, leaks, or poorly controlled processes. Once in the air, it can drift into nearby neighborhoods, schools, and businesses.
There are two main groups at risk. The first is workers who handle EtO directly, such as employees at sterilization plants, chemical manufacturing sites, and hospital sterile processing departments. The second is people who live, work, or attend school near facilities that release EtO into the air over many years. Because the gas has little smell at low levels, many people had no idea they were breathing it.
Cancers Linked to Ethylene Oxide
Research on workers and communities has connected long-term EtO exposure to several serious illnesses. Blood cancers come up most often. Studies of exposed workers show higher rates of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells, has also been tied to long-term exposure.
Certain types of leukemia, especially lymphocytic leukemia, appear more often in groups that breathed EtO over many years. Breast cancer is another concern, as research has found higher rates among women who were exposed to the gas at work or near their homes.
Scientists believe EtO can damage DNA, which may explain why it raises the risk of these cancers. The risk generally grows with the amount of exposure and the number of years a person was exposed.
What Regulators Say About the Risk
Both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the International Agency for Research on Cancer classify ethylene oxide as carcinogenic to humans. In recent years, the EPA has studied emissions from sterilization facilities and adopted rules meant to cut how much EtO these sites can release.
Those rules have been the subject of ongoing debate. Some companies say they need more time to install new equipment or find alternatives, while many residents and advocates argue that stricter limits are needed to protect public health. The EPA’s ethylene oxide resource page offers background on the chemical, its health effects, and the agency’s regulatory actions.
The Growth of Ethylene Oxide Lawsuits
As more people learned about EtO, many began filing lawsuits against companies that used or released the gas. These cases often claim that facilities emitted unsafe levels of EtO, failed to warn nearby residents, or did not protect their workers.
Some of these cases have resulted in large verdicts and settlements. In 2022, a jury awarded a woman $363 million after finding that EtO from a sterilization plant caused her cancer, and the same company later agreed to pay about $408 million to settle hundreds of related claims. Other lawsuits continue to be filed across the country, involving sterilizers, chemical makers, and medical device companies.
Signs to Discuss With Your Doctor
Cancers linked to EtO often develop many years after exposure, and early symptoms can be easy to overlook. Some warning signs include swollen lymph nodes, frequent infections, unexplained fevers or night sweats, bone pain, easy bruising, extreme tiredness, and unexplained weight loss. Women should also stay up to date on breast cancer screenings and report any new lumps or changes.
If you lived or worked near a facility that used ethylene oxide, tell your doctor. That history can help them decide which tests or screenings make sense for you.
Steps to Take If You Are Concerned
If you believe you may have been exposed to ethylene oxide, a few practical steps can help protect your health and preserve important information. Start by writing down the addresses where you lived, worked, or went to school, along with the years you spent at each place. Then note any sterilization plants, chemical facilities, or hospitals that were near those locations.
It also helps to keep your medical records in one place, including test results, pathology reports, and treatment records related to any diagnosis. If you worked with EtO, save pay stubs, job descriptions, and any safety training documents. Most importantly, share your exposure history with your doctor and ask which screenings make sense for you.
These records can be helpful both for your medical care and if you later decide to explore a legal claim.
Why Timing Matters
Every state sets a deadline for filing personal injury and wrongful death claims. In many states, the time limit starts when a person is diagnosed or learns that their illness may be connected to a toxic exposure. Because these deadlines vary, people who have been diagnosed with an EtO-linked cancer should look into their options sooner rather than later.
Protecting Your Health and Your Future
Ethylene oxide plays an important role in keeping medical equipment safe, but long-term exposure carries real health risks. Understanding how the gas spreads, which cancers it is linked to, and how to document your history can help you make informed decisions. Staying alert to symptoms, keeping good records, and talking openly with your doctor are strong first steps for anyone who may have been exposed.
