NEW YORK — A new report from the American Cancer Society and other world health groups has identified “gaps in research” for 20 suspected carcinogens including perchloroethylene.
Entitled “Identification of research needs to resolve the carcinogenicity of high-priority IARC [International Agency for Research on Cancer] carcinogens,” the report intends to prioritize the compounds for additional research and scientific study that leads to a more definitive classification of the agents.
The project launched as part of the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health’s (NIOSH) effort 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 cosponsored by the American Cancer Society.
According to the American Cancer Society, the 20 agents needing additional study include lead and lead compounds, titanium dioxide, welding fumes, refractory ceramic fibers, diesel exhaust, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene (TCE), chloroform, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalates and perc, or tetrachloroethylene.
“There is significant concern among the public about substances or exposures in the environment that may cause cancer, and there are some common occupational agents and exposure circumstances where evidence of carcinogenicity is substantial but not yet conclusive for humans,” says Elizabeth Ward, Ph.D., vice president of Surveillance & Health Policy Research at the American Cancer Society and the lead author of the report.
“The objectives of this report are to identify research gaps and needs for 20 agents prioritized for review based on evidence of widespread human exposures and potential carcinogenicity in animals or humans.”
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].