Assessment Of Technologies For Determining Cancer Risks From The Environment

Though overall cancer incidence and mortality have continued to decline in recent years, cancer continues to devastate the lives of far too many Americans. In 2009 alone, 1.5 million American men, women, and children were diagnosed with cancer, and 562,000 died from the disease. There is a growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer. The Pres. Cancer Panel dedicated its 2008¿2009 activities to examining the impact of environmental factors on cancer risk. The Panel considered industrial, occupational, and agricultural exposures as well as exposures related to medical practice, military activities, modern lifestyles, and natural sources. This report presents the Panel¿s recommend. to mitigate or eliminate these barriers. Illus.

Toxicogenomics is a discipline that combines expertise in toxicology, genetics, molecular biology, and environmental health to help understand the response of living organisms to stressful environments. The National Research Council convened a workshop to discuss how toxicogenomic data could be applied to improve risk assessments, particularly cancer risk from environmental exposure to chemicals. Risk assessments serve as the basis of many public-health decisions in environmental, occupational, and consumer protection from chemicals. The workshop provided a forum for communities of experts, including those working in "-omics" and those in the policy arena, to discuss where their fields intersect, and how toxicogenomics could address critical knowledge gaps in risk assessments.

An overview of the different approaches to cancer risk assessment of environmental factors ? including ?-omics? technologies, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the methods in different fields. The main focus is on the carcinogenic effects of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, demonstrating the difficulties in accurately assessing those factors that may or may not pose a significant cancer risk. The book extends the view to a broader context of risk assessment, highlighting various aspects of risk management. Written by leading experts in the field, this is a resource for policy makers and professionals in health risk assessment, and public health workers, as well as oncologists and researchers in academia.