Breakthroughs in cancer risk assessment: With new tools, scientists are learning more about how cancer occurs
- Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States). Health Effects Research Lab.
Scientists are continually trying to improve cancer risk assessment by incorporating new information on the cancer process and on how different carcinogens affect the process. Preferably, cancer risk assessments would be based on epidemiological studies, studies that link actual human cancer cases with human exposure to specific agents. More often than not, however, such information is not available, and risk assessments are made by extrapolating from experimental results on laboratory animals to the human situation. Many uncertainties are inherent in both approaches. Epidemiology studies depend heavily on accurate assessments of human exposure. Generally, these assessments rely on external exposure measurements: this doesn't account for what happens to a carcinogen once it enters the body, a factor that can greatly influence the quantitative exposure-to-tumor relationship. Extrapolations from laboratory data entail even greater uncertainties. Recent scientific discoveries are helping the authors to refine their estimates of human exposure to carcinogens and to better understand the mechanisms of action of carcinogens both in experimental animals and in humans.
- OSTI ID:
- 5708940
- Journal Information:
- EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Journal; (United States), Journal Name: EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Journal; (United States) Vol. 19:1; ISSN 0145-1189; ISSN EPAJDB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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