IARC Monographs: 40 Years of Evaluating Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans

Download as .RIS

Citation

Pearce, Neil; Blair, Aaron; Vineis, Paolo; Ahrens, Wolfgang; Andersen, Aage; Anto, Josep M.; Armstrong, Bruce K.; Baccarelli, Andrea A.; Beland, Frederick A.; & Berrington, Amy, et al. (2015). IARC Monographs: 40 Years of Evaluating Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans. Environmental Health Perspectives, 123(6), 507-514. PMCID: PMC4455595

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Recently the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Programme for the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans has been criticized for several of its evaluations, and also the approach used to perform these evaluations. Some critics have claimed that IARC Working Groups' failures to recognize study weaknesses and biases of Working Group members have led to inappropriate classification of a number of agents as carcinogenic to humans.
OBJECTIVES: The authors of this paper are scientists from various disciplines relevant to the identification and hazard evaluation of human carcinogens. We have examined here criticisms of the IARC classification process to determine the validity of these concerns. We review the history of IARC evaluations and describe how the IARC evaluations are performed.
DISCUSSION: We conclude that these recent criticisms are unconvincing. The procedures employed by IARC to assemble Working Groups of scientists from the various discipline and the techniques followed to review the literature and perform hazard assessment of various agents provide a balanced evaluation and an appropriate indication of the weight of the evidence. Some disagreement by individual scientists to some evaluations is not evidence of process failure. The review process has been modified over time and will undoubtedly be altered in the future to improve the process. Any process can in theory be improved, and we would support continued review and improvement of the IARC processes. This does not mean, however, that the current procedures are flawed.
CONCLUSIONS: The IARC Monographs have made, and continue to make, major contributions to the scientific underpinning for societal actions to improve the public's health.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409149

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2015

Journal Title

Environmental Health Perspectives

Author(s)

Pearce, Neil
Blair, Aaron
Vineis, Paolo
Ahrens, Wolfgang
Andersen, Aage
Anto, Josep M.
Armstrong, Bruce K.
Baccarelli, Andrea A.
Beland, Frederick A.
Berrington, Amy
Bertazzi, Pier Alberto
Birnbaum, Linda S.
Brownson, Ross C.
Bucher, John R.
Cantor, Kenneth P.
Cardis, Elisabeth
Cherrie, John W.
Christiani, David C.
Cocco, Pierluigi
Coggon, David
Comba, Pietro
Demers, Paul A.
Dement, John M.
Douwes, Jeroen
Eisen, Ellen A.
Engel, Lawrence S.
Fenske, Richard A.
Fleming, Lora E.
Fletcher, Tony
Fontham, Elizabeth T. H.
Forastiere, Francesco
Frentzel-Beyme, Rainer
Fritschi, Lin
Gerin, Michel
Goldberg, Marcel
Grandjean, Philippe
Grimsrud, Tom K.
Gustavsson, Per
Haines, Andy
Hartge, Patricia
Hansen, Johnni
Hauptmann, Michael
Heederik, Dick
Hemminki, Kari
Hemon, Denis
Hertz-Picciotto, Irva
Hoppin, Jane A.
Huff, James
Jarvholm, Bengt
Kang, Dae-Hee
Karagas, Margaret R.
Kjaerheim, Kristina
Kjuus, Helge
Kogevinas, Manolis
Kriebel, David
Kristensen, Petter
Kromhout, Hans
Laden, Francine
Lebailly, Pierre
LeMasters, Grace K.
Lubin, Jay H.
Lynch, Charles F.
Lynge, Elsebeth
't Mannetje, Andrea
McMichael, Anthony J.
McLaughlin, John R.
Marrett, Loraine
Martuzzi, Marco
Merchant, James A.
Merler, Enzo
Merletti, Franco
Miller, Anthony
Mirer, Franklin E.
Monson, Richard
Nordby, Karl-Kristian
Olshan, Andrew F.
Parent, Marie-Elise
Perera, Frederica P.
Perry, Melissa J.
Pesatori, Angela C.
Pirastu, Roberta
Porta, Miquel
Pukkala, Eero
Rice, Carol
Richardson, David B.
Ritter, Leonard
Ritz, Beate
Ronckers, Cecile M.
Rushton, Lesley
Rusiecki, Jennifer A.
Rusyn, Ivan
Samet, Jonathan M.
Sandler, Dale P.
de Sanjose, Silvia
Schernhammer, Eva
Seniori Constantini, Adele
Seixas, Noah
Shy, Carl M.
Siemiatycki, Jack
Silvermann, Debra T.
Simonato, Lorenzo
Smith, Allan H.
Smith, Martyn T.
Spinelli, John J.
Spitz, Margaret R.
Stallones, Lorann
Stayner, Leslie
Steenland, Kyle
Stenzel, Mark
Stewart, Bernard W.
Stewart, Patricia A.
Symanski, Elaine
Terracini, Benedetto
Tolbert, Paige E.
Vainio, Harri
Vena, John
Vermeulen, Roel
Victora, Cesar G.
Ward, Elizabeth M.
Weinberg, Clarice R.
Weisenburger, Dennis
Wesseling, Catharina
Weiderpass, Elisabete
Zahm, Sheila Hoar

PMCID

PMC4455595

ORCiD

Olshan - 0000-0001-9115-5128