Concern has also been raised that nitrous oxide may have carcinogenic potential, especially in operating room and dental personnel who are chronically exposed to trace concentrations of this gas. However, there is no convincing evidence to date that nitrous oxide causes cancer in either animals or humans.

Does nitric oxide cause cancer?

Increasing evidence has indicated that nitric oxide (NO) signaling is implicated in the pathophysiology of many types of cancer, particularly in tumorigenesis and cancer progression in various tissues, including the brain, breast, prostate, pancreas and lung (5, 6).

How does nitric oxide affect cancer cells?

Nitric oxide inhibits the progression of cancer by decreasing tumor growth, angiogenesis, migration, metastasis, etc. Conversely, there are many instances where NO· augments these same tumorigenic properties.