A new report from the American Cancer Society and other world-leading health groups identifies gaps in research for 20 suspected carcinogens whose potential to cause cancer is as yet unresolved. The report is designed to prioritize agents for additional research, and to lead to well-planned epidemiologic or mechanistic studies leading to more definitive classification of these agents.
The report, "Identification of research needs to resolve the carcinogenicity of high-priority IARC carcinogens," is a concerted effort to identify ways to close existing gaps in knowledge for particular agents classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) by identifying information needs and the research to address them for 20 selected agents. The agents are generally in IARC Groups 2A, 2B, and 3. The project originated as part of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH) National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) to enhance occupational cancer research, and involved collaboration with IARC, the American Cancer Society, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The effort was co-sponsored by the American Cancer Society. The agents prioritized as needing additional study are:
- Lead and lead compounds
- Indium phosphide
- Cobalt with tungsten carbide
- Titanium dioxide
- Welding fumes
- Refractory ceramic fibers
- Diesel exhaust
- Carbon black
- Styrene-7,8-oxide and styrene
- Propylene oxide
- Formaldehyde
- Acetaldehyde
- Dichloromethane, methylene chloride (DCM)
- Trichloroethylene (TCE)
- Tetrachloroethylene (perc, tetra, PCE)
- Chloroform
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
- Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)
- Atrazine
- Shift work
The full report can be viewed at: monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Publica … /techrep42/index.php
More information: Ward EM, Schulte PA, Straif K, Hopf NB, Caldwell JC, et al. 2010 Research Recommendations for Selected IARC-Classified Agents. Environ Health Perspect doi:10.1289/ehp.0901828
Provided by American Cancer Society